The Diary of a Lonely Slayer
by ShewolfAngelus
Summary: Post Season 7: Vivian has been the forgotten slayer for the last two years, but now she's been given an important assignment: guardian of the Hellmouth. Rupert Giles has stepped up to become her watcher, but he doubts she can prevent the next apocalypse.
1. Chapter 1: The Chosen Guardian

Chapter 1: The Chosen Guardian

I was running for my life. I wasn't terrified, or anxious…I just knew what would happen if they caught me. They would tear me to shreds and destroy my soul faster than I could say "pie".

My shoes were getting heavy with all the mud caking up from the dirt of the Greenwood Cemetery. It was slowing me down… Or it may have been the large rolls of hundred dollar bills in my backpack from the First Star Bank I robbed. It didn't matter; I was still superhumanly faster than them. To them I'm nothing…just a criminal passing through that picked the wrong town to rob.

Looking over my shoulder I could see their flashlights and hear the barking of police dogs hot on my trail. My car was parked just outside of town near a corn field. I was so damn close I could almost taste it.

As I was running I started to forget about looking down. I paid the price for it this time and tripped over a tree root, sending me out of control down a hill. I could hear the crushing of leaves as my body pounded the ground as I fell. Through it I could hear water, so I started to prepare for landing.

That's all I remember. Next thing I knew I was sitting in a jail cell with stitches on the left side of my wet head. There was no bruising…there was never bruising.

"Shit…" I cursed, but not because of the throbbing pain my head, but because I was dead meat now.

"You're awake…Detective Frank would like to speak with you," a man in uniform handcuffed me through the cell before opening the door. He led me down hall and into a room with just a table and two chairs.

I took a seat and felt the cuffs on my wrist. They were tight…but definitely not strong enough to hold me.

Detective Frank made an appearance and sat down with a large file. I knew what it was…he knew I knew what it was...but it had to be said.

"Really thought you were gonna get away this time? You're looking at some pretty tough charges here. Auto theft, bank robbery, fraud, assault..." he paused and looked up at me, as if waiting for me to object.

I shrugged, "girls gotta make some money and have a life. Look…you got your money back and I assume you found my car by now. So let's make this clear…auto theft and attempted robbery."

"Right…." He made a note. "And what about the assaults?"

"What assaults?" I honestly had no idea what this guy was talking about.

"Says here you punched a guy through a window back in Hazelton and two years ago you put a man in Amarillo into a coma. Is that true?"

I naturally looked surprised and I think he fell for that. "I punched a guy…but not through a window. Do I look like I have that kinda strength? But that guy in Texas had it coming."

He started laughing, "You're not sweet talking me little lady. The Big boys will be coming tomorrow to pick you up and take you to county prison. Are we clear?"

County? My life was over…unless I planned to escape… "yeah."

What the hell was I going to do? Nazareth, Pennsylvania…should have known to keep driving. I hardly remember what made me stop anyway…sure as hell wasn't for its people or night life.

When I was put back in my cell there was a man in brown coat and a young woman talking with the officers at the front desk. They both looked over at me. Now I was scared. The Feds? The FBI? Who else would be looking for me?

One of the officers nodded and came over to my cell. He opened it without putting handcuffs on me. That meant only one thing.

"I'm free?" I asked suspiciously.

The man in the coat nodded and held a stern look on his face. "Let's go."

I followed the two out of the police station and into a car the woman was driving. I didn't know what to say and I didn't know who they were.

"Where are you taking me?" I demanded.

"To the hotel for now…afterwards it depends," he said with a British accent.

Now I was seriously confused. What the hell was a British guy doing in Nazareth busting ME out of jail? Crazier things have happened. So far this tops the cake of craziness.

"The hotel? Dude…I don't know who either of you are, but I'm not into anything like that."

The British man looked to the woman confused. She chuckled at his ignorance and answered for them.

"No, there is something we are going to offer to you, but trust me it will be nothing like that."

I relaxed in the backseat. The woman was pretty cool. She seemed like the White Witch from the X-men comics. I had a feeling they were more like partners than a couple anyway 'cause the British dude was way too old for her.

We arrived at a small hotel and I entered the room still not understanding a thing.

"Alright guys…tell me what's going on here or I bail," I stood firm.

The man was talking to the woman who stayed at the door: "I'll give you call if I need anything. Tell Buffy I'll be here longer than I anticipated. There's a lot of activity here and she needs the proper training."

The woman nodded and left. I was kind of sad to see her go because the British dude was starting to scare me…who was Buffy? And what the hell was he talking about?

The man closed the door and took seat. "Vivian, my names Rupert Giles. I'm a Watcher."

I laughed so hard I felt a cramp grow in my stomach, and I kept laughing till he cleared his throat.

"This is serious business. You have no idea how important of role you have to play. For example…aren't you curious as to how you ended up in Nazareth, Pennsylvania? A new Hellmouth is forming and you shall be its only guardian."

I sat up. He looked dead serious. "So what, you some nut job? Let's slow down a bit here…You're a _watcher_? So you…watch people? Have you been watching me?"

I was ready for a confrontation. With my strength I knew he didn't stand a chance...so I wasn't worried about that.

"Somewhat…Wait…no…I haven't been watching you. The seers brought me to you. They're the ones that have seen this coming and I've come here to help you find your destiny. You have no idea just how special you are. You have remarkable strength, yes?"

Slowly I sat back down, "my destiny? Seers I've heard of…but they aren't real." I rubbed a hand over my arm...feeling the muscles beneath.

"Vivian you are a slayer. Slayers date back many centuries. Until recently a slayer was a chosen one, a woman born to fight the forces evil…but now there are many slayers fighting evil all around the world. They are women with extreme power, agility, resilience and speed. Underneath Nazareth a Hellmouth has formed. It's a mystical portal if you will...between Earth and Hell. Soon…and it somewhat has begun, but more demons are moving towards this town. As a slayer it will be your job to destroy the evil and guard the Hellmouth to make sure it never opens. See why it is such an important job?"

It was difficult to take all this in at first. His lips were moving and all I could think about was how ridiculous this all sounded. It reminded me of how a few years ago I started to have this enormous strength…it was unexplainable. And agility...speed. It was an incredible feeling when it happened, but I kept it a secret. I was scared of what was happening to me, so I ran from home and went on the road. It had been two years since then…and this guy was freaking me out. I couldn't explain how he knew these things about me…but demons? A portal between Earth and Hell? This dude watched way too many movies.

"Look dude, I think you need help. I'm glad you were able to bust me out…but I should really get going..."

"It's Giles, and I am your watcher, you will respect me," he said in a stern voice.

"Why? 'Cause you got the sheriff to let me go? I'm sorry, but I don't believe anything you're telling me, not without proof," I folded my arms across my chest.

He looked at his watch, "two hours till sunset. We'll need to wait until then." Giles looked at me and sighed, "You're our only hope Vivian. There is some mystical force surrounding this town. All the other slayers that have tried to enter this town…they were killed instantly. Incinerated…actually…right at the city line. You are the only slayer that's been able to do so and survive. You were meant to protect this Hellmouth."

I watched as he cleaned his glasses. If this turned out to be a hoax then he was a really good actor. We'll see…was all I could think about. That and sleep…boy I was tired. But could I sleep knowing this crazed person was watching me? I was willing to take the risk.

"Two hours huh? Mind if I sleep? I haven't slept since leaving Ohio." I fell back on the bed and closed my eyes, and when I didn't hear his response I opened them.

I was no longer in the hotel anymore.

"Hello?" I sat up from the cement slab I was laying on.

It was dark and cold. Where the hell was I? Then I got the sense I was being watched by someone. "Giles? Are you here?" I called out.

When there was no answer I cursed, "That sick son of a bitch brought me to a cemetery while I was asleep?"

As I walked past the headstones and trees I spotted a woman around my age with dark hair. She was holding a wooden stake…you know, like pitching a tent, but she was carrying it more like a weapon.

"Who are you?" I called out to her.

When she turned around and saw me she lowered the weapon. "It's you isn't it?"

I put my hands up to show her I wasn't a threat and gave her a confused look.

"You're the one…The slayer guardian of Nazareth," she smiled.

"I….uh…I don't know what you're talking about."

I began to wonder what the people in this town were drinking. How the hell did I end up in such a crazy town?

She shook her head at me, "no, you do and you'll learn more soon. Giles is a good watcher. He's probably the reason Buffy is the longest living slayer in history."

There was that name again…Buffy…

"Giles? The creepy British guy who says he watches me?"

She laughed, "Yes. But he's really a loyal friend."

"Who is Buffy?"

"She is the slayer that came before you. You're power…when did you first feel it?" she asked.

I thought back, "Couple years ago...uhh…2001. Why?"

The woman had a look of great astonishment, as though she had stumbled upon the answer the world's greatest mystery.

"Oh my god…Buffy died in 2001, calling you to be the next slayer to replace her! Not long after a witch brought her back to life, rising from the dead once again. No one ever realized that another slayer existed, at least from the original lineage…a chosen one."

"Wait…who are you?" I asked a bit amazed.

"Lindsey. I'm a slayer too. A few months ago that same witch broke the slayer line and allowed all potential slayers to be chosen ones. That's how I became a slayer." She gave a weak smile.

"How am I supposed to believe this is real? Demons? Hellmouth? It's science fiction, not real." I corrected.

Lindsey nodded, "That's what I thought too. But Vivian…it's real. Vampires, demons, spirits, Hell on Earth…Don't be afraid of your destiny. Embrace it and save a world that doesn't even know it's in need of saving."

I stepped toward her, "How did you know my name?"

"Vivian!" I heard a male voice shouting in the distance. When I turned back towards her...she was gone.

I closed my eyes feeling a migraine coming on and when I opened them I was back in the hotel lying on the bed. Giles was standing over me, feeling my head.

"Are you alright?" he asked genuinely concerned.

I sat up in shock and pushed his hand away in disgust. A dream? It seemed too real to be just a dream. "Yes, I'm fine."

Giles grabbed some weapons from a bag and handed me an ax. "This is for protection…Just in case we're spotted."

"Oh…right," I trailed off as I saw him pull out a wooden stake. It looked like the same one from my dream.

"Can I have that instead?"

He looked up surprised, "You sure about that?"

I nodded and felt it in my hands…It felt right, like it belonged to me.

As we walked to the Moravian cemetery I couldn't shake my dream. The cemetery we were in…it was the same place in that crazy dream. There was also just no way I could have made up that woman. It was too damn real, but what else could it have been? She knew who Giles was…so maybe he knew her?

"Giles…Do you know a woman named Lindsey? With dark hair and blue eye shadow?" I had hoped he would say no, although I'd run the risk of sounding as equally crazy.

He stopped walking, "How do you know of her?"  
I raised a brow, "You mean she's real?" My hands began to shake.

"Was…Lindsey was one of the slayers that died trying to enter Nazareth," he confirmed.

The blood left my face, "you're saying…I was talking to a ghost? I thought…I made her up."

"You talked to her?" Giles paused as I could tell her was remembering her. "Perhaps it was her spirit…..Slayers of the past have been known to have some sort of psychic connection. Even though the slayer line is broken…there must still be a connection. Fascinating, actually."

"In my dream she told me about Buffy…the one you were talking about earlier to that woman. She said Buffy died and I was chosen to be the next slayer," once I said that I began to realize he didn't know that.

Giles had a far worse reaction than that of Lindsey. I thought he was going to break down.

"Oh dear Lord…. You've been a slayer for the past two years and we did nothing to help you. Vivian…I'm terribly sorry about this. We should have met back then and I should have…." He stopped as he appeared to be overwhelmed by some mistake. "I never imagined…I mean I should have imagined, given Buffy's first encounter with death and the brining of Kendra. Then when Kendra was killed Faith was called…"

Giles looked at me like a lost child he never knew he had. It was an awkward feeling since most of what he was saying I couldn't make sense of.

"Did she say anything else to you?" he asked.

I looked up, "Yeah…something about my destiny."


	2. Chapter 2: Past Mistakes

Chapter 2: Past Mistakes

"Vivian? Are you alright?"

I groaned in response to the question as I attempted to sit up. My body felt heavy…along with a lump the size of a tennis ball on the back of my head.

"What the hell happened?" I asked Giles.

"Well…You were attacked by demon. Don't you remember?" He leaned over me with a cut on his cheek.

"Uhm. Negative. I remember telling you about that girl…and that's pretty much it."

The pain was starting to fade, but my confusion was growing. Had I been attacked from behind by a demon? Seriously? That seemed awfully suspicious.

"We were under attack. A demon came from behind and attacked me. You tried to fight it but then you fell backwards and hit your head. The demon ran off, although I got a good look at it…we should be able to identify it," Giles gave me a hand as I got to my feet.

"Right," as I replied I wondered why I couldn't remember any of that. But then I saw something move behind a tree. "Is that the demon?"

When Giles turned around he saw the figure of a man moving towards us.

"No. I believe that's a vampire. Go on Vivian…Now remember, put the stake through his heart. He's strong…but you're stronger. Just believe in yourself…."

He kept going on with his speech of encouragement as I stood crouched…like Lindsey was…ready to strike. I looked into his eyes…those bright yellow eyes weren't natural.

"Now who are you little girl? A pretty little thing like you shouldn't be out here at night…it's dangerous. I'll admit though…I'm glad you're here, 'cause I'm hungry," the vampire teased.

My hand shook as I raised the stake to the vampire. There was a sudden look of panic on his face when he saw the weapon. He knew what it was…and what it meant, even though I had no clue.

"A slayer? Here?" He looked around for an escape.

I took this opportunity to lunge forward and I got him in the chest. The wood pierced through his dead body…striking his heart, and then he turned to dust.

As I tried not to cough I looked over at Giles amazed. "He turned to dust? That's it? He just vanishes?"

"Congratulations Vivian…you've slayed your first vampire," Giles turned away and started walking out of the cemetery.

"Vampires are real…So that's it? I find these things…then I stab them and they turn to dust?" I walked slowly behind him.

"No, not exactly. Vampires can be killed by a stake through the heart, or decapitation is just as effective. Demons and other forms of evil are different. It takes research to find their weakness to bring them down."

"Oh…" I had a feeling it would be more complicated than that. But I was submitting to the notion that I was now just as crazy as him. That vampire…it looked so human, but those eyes, the fangs, his ugly face, and that smell...there was nothing human about it.

"He called me a slayer…." I echoed my thoughts.

"Yes. Slayers are the only threat to these creatures. They understand that in an encounter with a slayer they are no longer at an advantage with their prey. Some become terrified, however there are vampires and demons who wish to hunt and kill slayers."

"Joy…" I sighed and continued to walk with him.

"I think it's time I show you where we'll be staying," he started walking in a different direction from the hotel.

We headed across a baseball park and towards some tall trees.

"A little…isolated don't you think?" I squinted and could see lights in the distance.

"I suppose it is…but it's for the best. We don't know what might be coming. Besides, with people in a small town like this…we don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

After getting through some brush and a little patch of forest I could read the street sign, "North Convent Ave?"

Giles nodded, "That over there is the Holy Family School. A lot of the incidences have occurred there…"

The place he pointed to was a ways down the street from the two houses we stood in front of; however, every light in the school was on.

He started to approach the house on the left, where the address read 123. There were only two houses on this dead end of the street. The closest place was that school and the cemetery attached to it.

"Wow…this is a nice house Giles." I was amazed by its country style.

Giles started digging through one of the hanging flower pots on the porch, "Yes it is…While we've been at the hotel and the graveyard I had my things brought in. I'm not sure how long training you will take, so a friend of mine has helped us settle in.

When he opened the door my jaw dropped, "a friend? Your friend did all this?"

As I walked inside I realized the place was fully furnished and looked very antique like. I quickly walked through the downstairs then zipped past Giles as I headed up the stairs to the second floor. There were three bedrooms…the one in the front was mine and the other was a giant study on the side...then the last bedroom in the back of the house was his.

I stepped into my bedroom- it was purple with a large bed on the side. I looked out the front window and could see the tall trees that lined the road across the street. It was beautiful…the first real bedroom I had since leaving home.

Sitting on the bed I looked over at the doorway and saw him standing there with his arms folded.

"I can't believe I'll be sleeping here. I guess I should go get my stuff that's in the car. Though I don't know what the cops did with it."

"It's in the backyard. I had it brought here after getting you out of jail."

I laughed, "You people think of everything don't you?"

He nodded, "we do our best to try. Though I consider we owe you a lot more than that Vivian. I'm just amazed you're still alive considering."

"Alive?" I raised a brow at him and stood up. "What do you mean _alive_?"

"Well…" He came in and took a seat on a chair. "Up until a few weeks ago there were demons known as The Harbingers of Death, or Bringers as we called them. They were soldiers for the First Evil. These demons were out to destroy the slayer line…by killing all slayers and potential slayers in the world. They succeeded in killing…well it's really hard to know how many girls they murdered, but there were a lot of casualties until we managed to stop them."

Some of what Giles was saying made sense to me, "These Bringers…were they…priest lookin' guys? No eyes?"

I could tell I was right when his face lit up and quickly turned to concern, "Yes…you encountered one?"

"Three. I was in Georgia…I didn't know who they were, but when I saw the knives they had I just started running for my life. I kept running until I jumped off a cliff and got carried away by the Chattahoochee River. After that I never saw them again. I still kept my eyes open for them and got the hell out of Georgia."

Giles once again had that look of disappointment in himself. It was bugging the crap outta me so I addressed it.

"What? Dude chill out…I'm alive. I was just surprised I made that jump and didn't drown either…I was found on shore somewhere and they took me in. When I told them where I jumped into the river they didn't believe me," I shrugged. "Of course I didn't tell anyone about the freaky priests…Hell, I thought I was just tired and seein' things."

He started to relax a little, "of course…it can be a hard thing to believe. It's remarkable though that you survived an encounter with the Bringers having no proper training. Buffy's first encounter with one was a complete disaster."

"Buffy…Been hearing that name a lot lately. Can I meet her?" I questioned the watcher.

He shook his head, "She's at our station in Scotland right now. I haven't been in much contact with her lately...But until then…there is something I want you to read."

Giles went to the study and returned with a book filled with many pages. He handed it to me in trust.

"What is it? A journal?" I questioned and flipped through it.

"Yes. It's a Watcher's diary. It's a document of my time as Buffy's watcher. I want you to read it and understand more about your role as a slayer and a guardian of the Hellmouth. Buffy made a lot of mistakes and overcame many difficult situations…I feel that you can learn from them."

I looked up at him, "Alright…."

He turned to leave my new room.

"Thanks Giles…"

"You're welcome Vivian," then he continued down the hall to the study.

I opened to the first page of Giles's journal. It began slowly…talking about being assigned as the watcher for the new slayer. Then his job to be close to the slayer: librarian of Sunnydale High school. He went on to give in full detail his first encounter with Buffy. She already knew what vampires were and had killed them at her previous school.

As I read further and grew tired, I put the journal down and quietly left the house. I went to the backyard to get my things from the trunk of my car. I pulled out my bag and carried it back to my room.

I dug out my pajama pants and my own journal and a pen. After changing, I laid back down on the bed took off the rubber band that was holding it closed. I began to write:

June 23, 2003

_It's been one crazy day. I woke up ready to leave this place with as much money as I could. Instead I've ended up here…with a destiny? Sounds too good to be true doesn't it? Apparently I'm a Slayer...a chick with mad skills that kills vampires and demons. I laughed too. Giles…my "watcher" is pretty cool. For a while it was hard to get past his British accent, but he seems to really care about me. Creeped me out at first…but I don't know...I'm starting to trust him. I have his journal. He wants me to read it since he was the watcher of the slayer I was supposed to replace…The one that also didn't stay dead for very long. He says that's why no one went searching for me. That bit is kind of confusing still. OH also…I had this dream about another slayer. Her name was Lindsey…she died trying to enter Nazareth. Apparently there is some mojo preventing slayers from entering…but it doesn't apply to me. Sounds funky doesn't it? Lindsey…I feel sorry for her. I think she's trapped here in this town. Man I sound crazy now. I thought he was crazy too, that was until I killed my first vampire, even though he was kinda dead. Hmm. Those are pretty much the highlights of this crazy day. I think I'm just happy not be behind bars to be honest…though I was planning to bust myself out. I'll give Giles a chance…ride this wave a little longer…so far I can't really complain. _

I put the pen on the nightstand along with my journal. As I leaned over I caught a glance of the window and decided to take a look outside again. Something didn't feel right in my gut, so I just had to look. There…across the street was a woman with dark blonde hair holding a cross bow.

"What the hell?" I saw her looking up at me.

I back peddled into the hall and saw the lights still on in the study. Lightly I knocked on the door and Giles looked up from his books. "Trouble sleeping?" he asked.

"There's a woman outside…holding a cross bow."

"A what?" Giles immediately got up and rushed to look out my window. "Vivian…I don't see anyone."

"She was there…I saw her. We made eye contact. What if she's in the house?" My panic grew by the minute.

"Don't worry, we'll do a search of the house," he went to a closet in the study and when he opened it there was an array of weapons. Giles tossed me a sword. "I'll search the property…you search the downstairs and the basement."

"Right." I led the way downstairs.

The downstairs was all clear…so I headed into the basement. I half expected pickled meats and jars of other freaky substances, but instead there was a giant matt, some exercise equipment and more weapons. She wasn't there either.

I headed back up the stairs and was greeted by Giles.

"Can you tell me what she looked like?"

"I don't know…jeans, t-shirt, dark blonde hair, carrying a cross bow. That's all I saw," I folded my arms across my chest and yawned.

"Alright. If you hear anything suspicious let me know…don't go after her alone. We don't know who we're dealing with," Giles headed back up the stairs after locking up.

I went back to my room and looked out the window. There was no one there. This town was really starting to give me the creeps now.

When I got into bed a heavy drowsiness came over me. I gave into the feeling and fell asleep.

It wasn't until the sun started shining through my window that I woke up. I looked over at the clock…it was 8:30 am. I got up and headed downstairs to see what was up for the day...but there was no one there.

"Mr. Giles?" I called out and went back upstairs to see if maybe he was up there.

I cursed once I realized he wasn't in his bedroom or in the study. I went back downstairs and I heard some noise coming from the kitchen. Slowly I walked in, but there was nothing.

Suddenly I was grabbed from behind. I screamed, but there really was no one that would come to rescue me…I figured whatever had its arms around my neck must have attacked Giles.

My thoughts were all over the place…couldn't be a vampire 'cause vampires aren't out during the day, right? It also couldn't have been that chick from last night 'cause the arms were that of a man, so I determined it was a demon.

I reacted. It was natural and pure. A fluid like movement. I grabbed hold of the man's arms and I tossed him into the kitchen table…his body was a blur as it crashed and broke the table and a few chairs.

When the debris settled I finally got a look at the man.

I froze and panicked.

"Mr. Giles? Oh my god…oh my god…I didn't mean…I mean…why the hell did you attack me? Have you gone insane?"

"No…quite alright I think. Feeling a bit stupid yes and perhaps some major bruising," He struggled to get back on his feet.

Quickly I helped him to one of the surviving chairs.

"What was the purpose of scaring me? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I was hysterical.

"I was testing you Vivian and I must say you've passed to a certain degree. I was checking to see your reaction skills and strength. You still have a lot to learn though…but you managed to utilize the table as a weapon….very well," Giles rubbed his shoulder in pain.

"Right…Sorry Giles but that wasn't cool at all. I thought someone got to you, or you…" I cut myself off and rolled my eyes before heading to the fridge.

"Left you?" He finished the sentence for me, which pissed me off.

"Vivian I know it has been tough being the slayer and not knowing it. Not knowing who to trust. My sole purpose for being here is to train you, to make you a better fighter. I will not be leaving this town till I know you are capable of handling this job. There is a tight bond between a slayer and her watcher and that bond begins with trust. I have faith in you Vivian; please find it in you to trust me."

I poured some milk into a bowl full of cereal and looked up at him. "I trust you. I don't know why I do…but so far you've been the only one to understand what's going on with me. I'm tired of running anyway…that's been my life for the past two years."

Giles frowned slightly, "I see. Well your training begins in an hour. I'll be in the basement."

He walked back up the stairs to the study and I was alone again to eat my breakfast. I sat on a barstool at the kitchen counter.

After I finished I ran back up the stairs and grabbed Giles's journal and made myself comfy on the front porch.

_Buffy's first task happened extremely early in her training. Heinrich Joseph Nest, otherwise known as The Master has made his presence in Sunnydale known. According to my research he's over 600 years old and has very interesting abilities for a vampire._

I began to wonder if there would be a picture of this Master guy. I read through all the different training exercises Giles had Buffy go through to prepare for the encounter.

_The situation was looking worse as the vampire population was rising incredibly. To make matters worse my research revealed a troubling prophecy about Buffy. The prophecy foretold that Buffy would face the Master and die. Unfortunately after telling this information to a trusted friend, Buffy overheard and clearly stated she was done with slaying. After some…altercations, Buffy took off to fight the Master. And after regaining consciousness we were under attack by vampires in the school's library…It is at this point that I realized the Hellmouth lied directly under the library. Buffy was able to defeat The Master and we buried his remains. Note: The Master's body didn't dust completely like standard vampires, instead there were skeletal remains. This move proved to be costly as an attempt was made to reinstate the vampire. It was my mistake. Although at the time I was very concerned about Buffy's mental wellbeing. Since the death of the Master she's seemed distant and exhausted. Buffy was able to destroy the Master's remains after locating her friend who was kidnapped in order to complete the spell._

I turned the page and found a note scribbled in red ink…

_Note: Buffy's temporary death at the hands of the Master called forth the next slayer. See November 24__th__ 1997. _

I stared at the note for a moment then anxiously flipped through the journal for that dated entry. It said her name was Kendra Young. She was a talented slayer well versed in slaying, weapons, and very ancient texts. Also that Buffy could have learned a lot from Kendra, but unfortunately she was killed by vampire in May of 1998.

When I got to the end of the entries on Kendra I discovered another Note. I flipped to the diary entry it indicated but after glancing at my watch I realized it was time for training.

I ran back up to my room and left the journal open to October 13, 1998. I quickly changed my clothes and headed to the basement.


	3. Chapter 3: For the Greater Evil

Chapter 3: For the Greater Evil

I was exhausted by the time we finished training for the day. I did my best to survive the slayer boot camp and Giles decided I had enough when I couldn't get up from the matt without help. Everything in my body was twitching and it was more painful than the dentist.

Giles left the house soon after to get supplies he needed from the next town over. He said they would be used to make a protective charm. Lucky for me I was too sore to go…so instead I indulged in a long ice bath and called it a day.

As I was brushing my hair I caught the reflection of something moving in the hall. I grabbed the ax from the counter and stayed on guard. After last night I wasn't taking any chances, though having the energy to swing the ax was a different story…if there was a monster in the house it had a big advantage over me at the moment.

"I know you're there. Show yourself!" I called out.

A woman emerged from the hall with her hands up. It was the same woman I saw the night before out my window.

"Who are you? Are you another slayer or something?"

She laughed, "Yeah, a rogue slayer you could say. I heard about the big bad in this town and here I am…. Of course I didn't know about the veil preventing slayers from entering."

The more she talked the more my head started to hurt, but I kept my cool. "So why are you stalking me?"

"Well, for a number of reasons actually. One…is to clear something up about slayers. Slayers are not the super heroes you believe them to be. Giles is filling your head with nonsense. Darkness is natural, right? And slayers are preventing evil from existing…slayers are the killers and that makes you the greater evil."

Rubbing my head in confusion I sat the ax down on a table, "No…I was chosen to protect innocent people, that's what Giles and the other slayer told me."

"Well they're wrong…every vampire you kill once used to be a human being. Did you ever think about that?"

"Uhm…I guess so." I looked at her a moment, "Something tells me you didn't come here to kill the big bad huh?"

She chuckled, "Oh sister you have no idea. But your watcher…Giles…he isn't the straight up guy you think he is."

Now I started to laugh, which again was horrifically painful for my abdominal muscles, "The stuffy British guy? Oh really? Let me guess…he has overdue books from the library?"

She returned a very serious look, "in those days he was known as Ripper. Him and his friends stole things and summoned some serious demons. Did you know that Vivian? Did you know that he used dark magicks to do horrible things? Kinda like the things you did before he found you...grand theft and all that. What? You don't believe me? Check out the tattoo he has on his arm. He connected himself with a demon! And why do you think Buffy died so many times? Because of her horrible watcher…that's why Buffy was better off without him."

I stood there gripping my head in pain now and it was becoming difficult to respond to the woman's allegations. But it was almost impossible for me to imagine Giles being such a ruthless guy.

"Leave…Get out before I find a way to throw you out," I looked over at the ax.

To be honest I didn't know how to get rid of a ghost…or whatever she was, but I could sense her fear of me.

"Fine…but you'll see I'm telling you the truth. I'm just trying to help you…warn you."

With that she left down the hall and walked down the stairs. I didn't think much of it….but the moment she was gone my headache cleared…much to my relief.

The ghost slayer was on my mind constantly…I didn't know her name, but I knew she was a rogue and she knew a heck of a lot about Giles. I sat on the couch wondering if I should tell him about her…or if I should wait. My confusion about the other things she said also lingered: slayers the bad guys? Are evil creatures natural?

Giles was back shortly after I finished cleaning myself up. I helped to carry in a relatively light box of stuff that smelled kinda funky...he said it was the sage.

The moment we met in the kitchen he asked me what was wrong, or if I was alright…I don't really remember which it was.

I nodded and sat down, but something was eating at me. "Am I gonna die like the others? Giles I don't know any witches who are going to bring me back from the dead if I get killed!"

He sat down across from me. "Honestly, Vivian it's a risk a slayer takes. She faces death on a daily basis, but you must believe that you're doing it for the greater good. Speaking of which…I've identified the demon we saw in the cemetery last night."

As Giles pulled the book from the box I caught a glimpse of the tattoo on his arm. My reaction was to take a couple steps back and the room suddenly felt ten degrees cooler.

"We will work up to hunting it down since it's not a very dangerous demon. You need more lessons and training, so tonight we'll patrol the cemetery," he spoke still looking down at the text.

"Alright. I think I'm gonna head out for a few and gets some air," I walked upstairs and came back down with a bag and my keys.

Giles acknowledged my leaving, but told me to be back before sunset. He was probably glad I was leaving since he was making the preparations for the protection spell.

I tore out of the driveway in my car...a red 1969 Ford Mustang convertible. I headed quickly down the streets as it seemed everyone in Nazareth was at home eating dinner with their family.

When I got to the sign reading: "Welcome to Tatamy: Once you live here, you won't want to leave!" I pulled the car off the road and turned off the engine.

What was I doing? Was I going to leave him…leave the Hellmouth I'm solely in charge of? I sat in the car pondering all this over. Part of me really wanted to stay because it felt right, but another part of me was screaming that I was way in over my head on this. Both sides were right, but I had to choose now and it was starting to get dark.

Part of me was also growing leery of Rupert Giles. The tattoo was there…how the hell else could it be explained? That symbol definitely looked demonic. Did that mean the other shit she was said was true? I really had two different takes on what a slayer was…but no real way of knowing the truth. Wait…actually I had three different takes since I had forgotten about the slayer from the dream…she told me this was destiny.

I drove back onto the highway and rolled into town again, but this time I was determined to suppress my racing thoughts. There was a small market at the gas station…I put down a couple of bucks and bought a six pack of beer. Twisting off the cap I leaned against the car and drank it down faster than I ever thought possible.

By the time I made it back to 123 Convent Av I was finishing off the sixth bottle and sure as hell didn't remember how I got there.

Giles greeted me with a large green bag of weapons at his feet. His look of anger and frustration soon got worse as I stumbled out of the car.

"Where have you been? I've been calling your cell phone for over an hour…I was about to go looking for you."

"Hey…If today was my last day…I'm gunna drink alright? Besides…you're nothin' but a lyin' son of bitch anyways. Wuh? You think I'm crazy? I like my pathetic existence…I don't wunna die Giles!" I pushed him away from me.

My reaction time was slow as Giles grabbed me by the arm and pulled me inside the house. I was forced to sit down on the couch.

"Why have you done this to yourself Vivian? How have I lied to you? You know I've told you nothing but the truth…I've even entrusted you with my watcher's diary. I have no secrets from you…but is there something you're keeping from me, isn't there?" Giles knelt down and waited to hear it.

I moved away from him to the other end of the couch and immediately started to regret opening my mouth. I couldn't help it…I couldn't stop myself for continuing.

"She came back while you were gone. She told me everything….Ripper! About your past…you're evil demon summoning past! Of how you failed Buffy. She told me slayers are killers…killers Giles! I'm no killer!"

"A killer? A slayer told you this? And told _you_ about my past? How could she have known…. This is nonsense! Yes, I did have my rebellious phase and did some terrible things that I regret. But more importantly, a slayer is not a killer Vivian, that you have been ill-informed. It's the job of the slayer to protect mankind from the evil that threatens the Earth from below. Destroying evil is not the same as killing, otherwise…why would there be such a thing as a slayer? Who gave you this information?"

I buried my face in my hands in confusion, "A slayer…she said a rogue slayer, I didn't ask what her name was. She sounded like she came here to join forces with the Hellmouth, but was killed. I...I don't know what believe anymore…"

"Rogue slayer?" For a moment it looked like Giles knew who I was speaking of.

"I need to make a phone a few phone calls," he said before disappearing.

I stared for a moment at the doorway, and then I headed upstairs to my room. I was in bed when Giles came in and sat on a chair.

"Did you find out who she is?" I scratched the back of my head.

"No…Everyone that I know of has been accounted for, no rogue slayer. There are others alive that know of my past, but I have no way of contacting them. If…there is a ghost rogue slayer out there she would have gotten this information from another watcher. So that leaves us with a mystery to be solved…but are you sure this was a ghost you saw? Did she suddenly vanish? Did the room feel cold?"

"Uhm…" I closed my eyes and tried to remember our encounter earlier. "No…and I don't know, she went down the stairs…I didn't follow her. I was still in shock and I told her to leave."

Giles sighed, "Then it wasn't a ghost that visited you. I'm not sure what it could be either." He stood up and came towards me, "I understand that you are confused and I want you to understand that if you choose to leave Nazareth I will not stop you; however, do realize the consequence of this: demons, vampires, and other horrible creatures will congregate here and will stop at nothing till the Hellmouth is opened."

I laid back down and covered my head with the pillow, "I understand! But why me? Why? Is it because I have nothing to lose? Is that it? I'm not ready for this…I can't do it."

"You know that is not the truth. Vivian, you have been chosen to be the slayer. It's an ancient lineage. I have read about the many slayers that have come before you and you must know that they were _all_ powerful, strong, and righteous women. You are that woman."

I lifted the pillow and looked at Giles, "You honestly think so? Why should I believe what you say? Why did you raise that demon?"

He sighed again, "I was an ignorant and foolish young man. My friends and I paid the price for raising that demon. Whoever told you this information certainly cannot be trusted. What you need to understand is that there is a small group of people of whom I trust that know this about my past. I'm almost certain that none of them are in Nazareth…or anywhere near Pennsylvania for that matter. This leads me to believe there something darker working here…something I have not considered and wishes you to leave. That seems to be its goal."

I got up and went over to the dresser and sat back down on the bed with his diary. "Buffy protected the Hellmouth in Sunnydale. But she wasn't alone right? You talk about these friends she had…and this vampire with a soul. They helped her defeat the Master. So how am I going to do this on my own?"

When I finished Giles looked as though he was still searching for an answer. "With the proper training you can manage this task on your own, but until then I'm not sure yet. No other slayer can enter, but there are some people at our headquarters that could be of assistance. They're highly trained and as close to another slayer as we're going to get. The thing is we've never encountered such a strange veil. We've tried to break it, but the magick is ancient."

"Well what about the Watcher's Council? You talk about them quite a few times…you have friends there that seem to know a lot," I opened the diary searching for that page he mentioned them.

"They're dead. Only a few of us survived the explosion at the hands of the First Evil…the one I was telling you about before. We are pretty sure the explosion was tied to the Bringers since we were working to find and protect potential slayers."

"Oh…" I looked up and felt terrible for him. To think….most of the people he mentioned were now dead. I closed the diary and realized that regular people stood no chance against these demons and forces of evil.

"I'm staying…but on the condition you get some help down here. I don't think I can keep this place safe without some help…'cause there are what…four cemeteries in Nazareth."

Giles nodded, "I will make the call and we'll have to rearrange some things to make room. I think I'll move my study to the dining room. I honestly don't see the need for a dining room."

I laughed, "Yeah…we also need a new kitchen table."

"Yes…I almost forgot. No worries, we'll get everything we need tomorrow. I suggest we scratch patrolling tonight and work on moving the study… You seem sound enough to move furniture."

"Right…."

I got up and used the bathroom to put some water on my face. My soreness was gone…which was strange but fortunate since I would need to do the heavy lifting. Slayer strength put to good use…moving a large bookshelf down some narrow stairs…and I mean narrow.

"Giles! How the hell did you get this up here to begin with?" I called out.

He was in the kitchen drinking a hot cup of tea, since he had already moved the books he didn't trust me to touch.

"Magick, actually…"

I gave a dry laughed, "Magick? Oh you have no idea how seven year-old that sounds."

He made no reply as I finally got all the large pieces of furniture down the stairs. I sat down at the counter and rested my head.

"I've made a list of things we need…you can pick them up while I drive to the airport in Allentown."

"Sure…Guess I'll head to bed then," I slowly walked back up the stairs and closed the door to my room.

I put some pillows under my blankets and headed out the window.

While I was moving furniture I had planned a secret outing. I just had to find out who this bitch was….I needed to know why she wanted me to leave town so bad.


	4. Chapter 4: There will be Blood

Chapter 4: There will be Blood

As I walked through the small patch of forest to the clearing I realized something: I was alone again. Of course being on the road I've always been alone…hell I've been alone since leaving home. That was different though, 'cause now I was standing still. Having freedom meant I didn't need company, but now I was stuck here…and I've never felt more alone.

I was suddenly alert as I heard rustling in the brush nearby. Since it was so dark and I had no flashlight I couldn't make out what it was.

"Hello?"

"_GrrrAHHHHR!"_

It was an angry sound that echoed through the trees. The demon stood a good fifty feet behind me. Having no weapons or any idea what kind of demon it was… I ran my ass off. I should have asked Giles if demons were good runners…but I'm sure he probably would have said it depends on the type of demon.

I turned back and got a better look at it: seven foot tall, green, a little hairy with spikes coming out of its face.

"Aren't you a charming guy."

It really failed to hit me until I tripped and landed into a grave that I had reached the cemetery. The cemetery. What the hell was my subconscious thinking? That this was a horror movie? The attractive hunter becomes the hunted and runs right into the very pit of all monsters, which was the tagline for this movie. Giles was going to kill me…not just for sneaking out, but for getting myself killed. Although I guess then he'd have to bring me back to life to kill me again.

I managed to laugh at these thoughts while lying in a freshly dug grave. The moment went sour once I heard the demon approaching. I was preparing myself to be its doormat or midnight snack, but something or someone confronted the demon.

I was afraid to try and pull myself up since the action was happening right above me. The anticipation of seeing my savior was killing me though, so I stretched and squirmed my way out of the grave. I collapsed on the ground and looked up to see the demon that had been chasing me fighting against a man holding a large sword.

With one giant swing the demon's head was cleanly sliced off and the body burned to ash as it hit the ground.

When he turned to look at me I realized this wasn't just a man…but a vampire. I panicked. A vampire with a sword? What kind of joke was this? I had no weapon to fight him…but he killed the demon for me, so did I have to fight him?

His face returned to normal and he dropped the sword to put his hands up.

"Don't be afraid…I'm not here to hurt you. That...what you saw isn't what you think it is."

His voice…even his voice was charming.

"A demon? It sure looked like a demon and why is a vampire telling me this?" I could tell he had no clue who I was.

"uhh….yeah a demon. How'd you know that?"

I almost "awed" at the confused look he gave me.

"'Cause I'm a slayer…who's not really good at slaying…yet anyway. But what's a vampire doing here fighting demons? Isn't that against your nature or something?"

"A slayer made it into town? Look, I came here 'cause I heard about the Hellmouth and the dead slayers here. My name is Angel."

The name…it sounded familiar. I gave him a strange look and thought back to Giles's watcher diary. Angel…the vampire with a soul, Buffy's boyfriend…well…for a while.

"No wonder she liked you…"

"Hm?" he asked after picking up his sword.

"Buffy. You two were together…a while back. Sorry…Guess that might sound odd coming from someone you don't know. Giles is having me read about Buffy for history and training purposes, you were mentioned quite a lot."

"Oh. Yeah…I guess it's kind of a side job of mine, helping slayers. So Giles is here, even better. Can you take me to him?" He asked.

I kicked the dirt a little, "Sure…it's just…I'm really supposed to be asleep. It's a long story."

He smiled and seemed cool about it, "I won't tell."

I must have sighed in relief because he gave a small laugh. Damn Angel was cute looking…in an older man vampire way. It was also so strange because here I was reading about this guy and he shows up in Nazareth of all places?

"I'm Vivian, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you. You must be pretty special…breaking that veil coming in here." He said it as if I knew the answer, but I had no clue.

We started walking towards home.

"I guess...honestly I had no idea who I was or what a veil was. I was just passing through here. I've been on the run ever since getting all this power and these horrible dreams."

He really seemed to know what I was talking about, which was nice for a change; although he didn't respond with much.

By the time we approached the house the lights were still on downstairs. I parted ways with him after he gave me a lift up to the roof. I climbed in through my open window.

When the doorbell rang Giles opened the door and invited Angel inside. He sounded genuinely surprised to see Angel here from Los Angeles. Angel explained he had a private jet now, so it wasn't too much trouble.

Angel began by saying he heard a slayer was in town, even though he came here because he heard slayers were dying trying to enter the town.

I stayed out of Giles and Angel's sight in order to get all the details loud and clear. They started out talking in hushed tones on my behalf, but soon they had forgotten and the volume increased.

"I don't understand it either. When they told me a slayer had penetrated the veil I came as soon as I could. And as it turns out Vivian has been a slayer longer than we previously thought."

"Before Willow's spell? How is that possible?" Angel sounded like he wanted a clear explanation fast.

Giles took off his glasses, "I'm sure Buffy told you…She died after defeating Glory. She used herself to close the portal…"

"I know…Willow told me after it happened," Angel cut him short. "So you're saying Buffy's second death triggered another slayer?"

He nodded, "It sounds like she was activated around that time. I'm sure that girl has many stories to tell, but I'm not pushing. She told me about her escape from the Bringers and she's lucky to have survived…." Giles shook himself out of a daze, "anyways...as for this veil I have found nothing. There is no such thing in any of my texts and why Vivian has been immune to its effects is mind boggling. The only theory I have is based on a dream Vivian had after I told her she was a slayer. She was able to name one of the slayers that died trying to pass the veil…The message the slayer gave was pretty clear, that this was her destiny, and it's also when I found out Vivian was the next chosen one after Buffy's death."

"Perhaps whoever made the veil has chosen her? Maybe something about her the others didn't have? Or maybe it's because she comes from the slayer line?"

Giles knew what Angel had meant and so did I….It was the slayer line before Willow used the power of the ax to activate all the potentials.

"All are possible. I'm not willing to risk the life of Buffy or Faith to prove it, but if we can't break this veil the weight is going to rest on her shoulders to prevent another Apocalypse," Giles sounded exhausted.

I leaned back against the wall by the stairs. They were saying that this was my problem now? 'Cause it didn't sound like they were any closer to finding more about this veil.

"I'm going to see who I can find…Someone must know something around here." Angel was heading for the door but Giles stopped him.

"There's something else…I could use your help with because honestly I'm not sure what we're dealing with…"

"Well spit it out Giles," he sounded impatient.

"I'm not sure if it's a demon or perhaps the workings of someone with power, but something has been coming to Vivian. It's been telling her things to drive her away. This thing knows a lot about me, and not the type of information that's easy to find. It's also been trying to implant the idea that slayers are evil. It's working by posing a dead rogue slayer."

"Alright Giles, I'll see what I can find with what time I have before daylight."  
"Thanks Angel."

It sounded like he was going to leave but I wanted to go with him. I wasn't tired and couldn't sleep even if wanted to at this point.

I ran downstairs and stood there a moment as Angel was in front of the open door.

"I'm going with him…" I told Giles.

Angel smiled and Giles looked a little disappointed that I had been listening the whole time.

"Not till you learn to defend yourself properly. I can't have you getting yourself hurt or killed."

What he said didn't make sense, but I fought it.

"I know how to defend myself and getting hurt is part of the job isn't it? Look…you mention Angel a lot in your diary. Don't you think I might have something to learn from him?"

Giles couldn't find a reason now and looked to Angel, "bring her straight back here afterwards. If anything happens to her…"

"Giles…" Angel gave him this look that made Giles nod and step out of the way.

I couldn't help but smile at how Angel was able to disarm Giles so easily. That I wanted to learn...I needed to learn.

We started walking back toward the cemetery where we first met, but instead we took a turn and began walking through town.

"Where are we going?"

"A demon bar…every Hellmouth has one, so this place should be no different."  
"Demon bar? Uhhh so you meant…asking demons for information?" I suddenly wasn't so sure about this tag along plan of mine.

Angel laughed, "Of course, who would think I'd ask? The police?"

He had a point there.

We walked into the place, which had no windows and only two exits. There were demons and vampires of all kinds drinking, gambling, talking, kissing…it was the grossest thing I had ever seen. And the smell….don't get me started with the smell. There was nothing typical about this bar.

Once the crowd realized we had walked in it got quiet and still. Everyone's eyes were on us, watching our moves and looking to their friends. It was two of us against an entire room of them. They knew that. They also knew we weren't dumb enough to challenge them.

"Angel?" one of the guys stepped forward and the two of them hugged like old friends.

"Hey Rick, it's been a long time since you left L.A.," Angel took a seat and the bar went back to its normal noise, but there were still a few stares in my direction.

"You got a girlfriend now? Dating another young one I see…" the demon Rick looked over at me as I took a seat.

"No, no..It's not like that. She's a slayer. We're here to get some information. You know the routine."

Rick was now put on edge. He wanted to look at me and size me up, but he was afraid we'd make eye contact. This demon was genuinely scared to death of me now that he knew I was a slayer. It was kinda nice, I'll admit. To be honest I was more afraid of the others in the bar that were still looking at us.

"Well…I hav-haven't been here long. Y-y-you know. But I've heard some things…" he paused a moment to look around. "A witch. She was angry that a slayer made it to town. I mean really pissed. All of us…we were prepared, but this woman…she took it personal. She hasn't been here since then, probably up to something…those witches always are. That's all I've heard Angel. Honest. I'll let you know if I do, right away, I promise."

Angel gave a half smile, "thanks Rick that helps a lot actually..." He looked at me and motioned to the door.

We left the bar and Angel seemed to be deep in thought. "A witch makes sense. Also explains the veil and the woman that's been visiting you. Powerful witches can mask their appearance or create an illusion."

"It was her. The second time I saw her she came into my room, that was no illusion…I watched her leave…Wait, do you think Giles knows her?"

"Hard to say. Witches can also call upon spirits to reveal your darkest secrets, which might be what she did. At this point everything is a maybe until we learn more about her." He paused for a moment, "It's time to go back."

We started walking back towards the house. As we walked through the trees Angel grabbed my arm and stopped me. I wasn't prepared and almost punched him right in the jaw for it, but he moved faster and grabbed my fist.

"We need to have a talk first."

I relaxed and he let go of me. "About what?"

Angel gave a heavy sigh, "I'm sure Giles is doing his best to train you and help you to understand how to be a good slayer. There is one thing that a watcher can't teach you…and that is common sense. Before you go into battle…and you will soon….you need to stay focused. Some slayers forget this, they get caught up in the pleasure of the hunt or they use their power for personal gain and it corrupts them."

I looked at him and I could just tell he was thinking about someone else.

"Trust your instincts and if you ever need someone to talk to just call me. You could say I've been around for a long time," he smiled briefly. "Buffy and the others are pretty busy right fighting…"

He gave me a card from his pocket that read Angel Investigations. For a moment it amused me because I pictured Angel as some kind of big shot detective.

"My cell is on the back, best to call that number if you want to reach me."

"Thanks. It means a lot actually…This is still pretty shocking to me. Demons, vampires, witches, watchers, slayers…"

He nodded, "I figured so. Let's go talk to Giles and see what he thinks."

We walked back to the house and I put Angel's card in my pocket. Giles opened the door when he heard us and we quickly got inside.

Angel did most of the talking…okay all of the talking. Giles sounded impressed and a tiny bit relieved to know what we were dealing with.

"I'm trying to think…there are only a small number of witches that would have the power to create such complex spells. Willow may be the best source of information in this regard. A witch….that's extraordinary. It should have occurred to me that the two would be linked to the same source."

Giles went on and on about what magicks this witch must have been using to get inside our heads.

This reminded me of the painful headache I had when she was here. I told him about this.

"That's a sure sign then," Giles concluded. "Magicks can have their side effects, you know? She must have been reading your thoughts and using your memories to manipulate you. Explains how she knew the slayer from your dream and perhaps my past."

I dismissed myself and headed upstairs and pretended to put myself to bed. I was more curious about what Angel and Giles would discuss once I had left the room.

"Stop protecting her Giles and let her slay. It sounds like your making excuses for her. The demons and vampires in this town knows she's here…It's only a matter of time before one comes along and wants to kill her. I think you'd be surprised at what she can do."

I wasn't sure how Angel could think that just from our little run to the otherworld bar or my performance at the cemetery, but he sounded sure of himself. Even I doubted my ability.

Giles agreed and said that Hunter would be arriving soon to help me. That he could trust Hunter to help me slay in field, like Angel used to do with Buffy.

Hunter…so this was the guy Giles was picking up from the airport. I hoped he was my age…I didn't know if I could take another stiffy old British guy.

Angel said he would keep in touch, but that there were some things in Los Angeles he needed to take care of. I could tell he also wanted Giles and me to work this out on our own…He was a smart vampire, anyone could tell that.

I went back to my room and closed the door softly. Angel's card went into my drawer after I programmed the number into my cell phone. As I laid on the bed starting at the ceiling, I began to imagine what my first real big bad fight would be like. Killing a witch though….that's pretty much killing a person isn't it? They wouldn't burst into flames or turn to dust. She would bleed and then die. I thought this over several times in my head before falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5: Bliss and Pain

Chapter 5: Bliss and Pain

I think Giles wanted me to do the shopping because it was the only way I'd make an effort to connect with Nazareth. He was right. And lucky for me there wasn't a lot of Nazareth to know.

Knowing our new guest was a guy made things easy. I used a truck that Giles's had borrowed and I had to make a couple trips back to the house in order to get everything home.

On the third trip back I was blasting the only rock station in the area when I noticed a car and a bike parked in the driveway. The bike looked brand new and it lacked plates.

When I walked in Giles and Hunter were discussing witches. Hunter noticed me first and gave a grand cheesy smile.

"Hey Vivian, it's good seeing you again."

I put down my bags and got a look at the man Giles had called for. This was the one who would accompany me on patrol and help me be a better slayer.

Again?

Yes, again.

His name was Roger in those days. I met him on the West Coast two weeks before I was called to be slayer. My family and I were vacationing at my aunt's house in Grants Pass, Oregon. He too was a visitor in town and we got to talking in a diner one morning.

I learned a lot about Roger and his family in England. He also pressed some questions about my life as well, which at the time I had no problem sharing.

"Roger huh? He wasn't real was he?" My tone was flat with an unconscious hint of disappointment.

"I'll admit the name was false, but the story wasn't a lie."

I nodded and crossed my arms and in a British sort of way Giles looked frustrated…obviously out of the loop.

"So why the lie? What didn't you tell me? And who the hell are you?"

Hunter didn't look at all troubled by this…in fact his reactions seemed rehearsed.

"Back then the Watcher's Council had received notice from the seers that you were a potential slayer. They informed me the next day and assigned you to me. It was by chance that we met in the diner and honestly I was caught off guard. I was still on my way to your house." He quickly looked at Giles, "The Council didn't trust you; they kept this news tight lipped because they were betting on your slayer's death and they were afraid you'd seek her out. They had a strong feeling she'd be the next slayer in line."

I looked over at Giles and he didn't seem surprised.

"I see…" he noted.

"Why didn't you tell me? You stalked me and didn't tell me I was some super freak time bomb? What about when I was chosen? Where were you then?" I charged.

"Long story short I was too late. You had already left town before I could reestablish contact and prepare you. I didn't tell you in the diner…well, because I didn't want to ruin your trip. Besides, then you were just a potential. Even though they had a strong feeling about you, that didn't mean you were next…it was an "if and when" situation, as we had no idea if or when Buffy was going to die. Had I of known I would have done more sooner."

Giles looked at Hunter with some jealousy and anger. He now knew that I was Hunter's responsibility and he lost track of me. It was obvious.

"You were assigned to be her watcher?" Giles posed this question with disbelief.

"A little young, I know," He chuckled. "I thought for sure you might have suspected something when I was the only one to return your calls. Yes, I've been in contact with the others. You see I've been searching for Vivian, and I had tracked her to Pennsylvania, but your phone call confirmed it."

"I suppose you're right," Giles put a hand behind his head, "this is a lot to take in, but none the less I'm glad you've returned."

Was that all he had to say about this? Serious?

"But I'm not! You were supposed to tell me! I wouldn't have ran and nearly died or suffered the pain of trying to escape! You think you can just come in here and take over?" I stomped my foot.

He got really serious and spoke in a deadly calm voice, "Yeah, I can. If I need to get tough with you I will. That's final."

Hunter turned away from me and then walked upstairs to his almost completed room.

I looked to Giles with the bags still at my feet. I had no intention of taking them up to him now, so Giles took the bags and gave a sympathetic look. He understood. Slowly Giles walked up the stairs and headed to our new guest's room.

It wasn't in exhaustion that I collapsed onto the couch, but pure amazement. To think things would have been so different had I of waited just a week. Although….would I have survived? The only reason the Bringers didn't kill me was because they no way to track me. Maybe it was fate.

I sighed at the fact that I could reason myself to believe anything.

When I looked over to the clock I realized there was still a long ways to go before nightfall, so I went upstairs to read more of Giles's Journal.

As you remember, the book was still open to the date in October. The entry had no title, none of them did.

_Faith had arrived much to our surprise. She was without a watcher, which wasn't surprising considering the watchers were on retreat at the time. She is very reckless in her fight style, but semi-trained none the less. It appears Faith was called the moment of Kendra's death and already was in the hands of her watcher. _

_Now I'm saddened to learn Faith was on her own, as her watcher had been the victim of the vampire Kakistos._

I read further as he detailed his observations of Faith and the conflict between her and Buffy. She seemed so much cooler than Buffy 'cause to be honest Buffy sounded like one of the popular kids in school. Ugh, even though I had been out of school for a long time I still hated those types. Faith seemed to embrace her slaying and used it to her advantage. It made me wonder if she was who Angel warned me not to become. Possible. But the more I read the more I discovered I wasn't like her at all. I had control over my actions, unless I was pissed off. I guess that kinda makes me like the Hulk. Man I hate the color green.

There was one thing we shared: a hate for watchers. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Giles is a great guy, but Hunter, how could I ever trust him? I wished Giles had never sent for him.

That was around the time I fell asleep. Oh, did I mention I didn't sleep good last night? More of those stupid slayer dreams, well but this was different. In this dream I saw one of them die fighting a vampire named William the Bloody. It was sickening, but there was no way to stop it.

When I woke up there was a shadow figure at the foot of my bed. I was afraid to see who it was. It was already dark outside and the house was quiet. Slowly I reached for my gun but the thing pounced on me with large claws.

Before I could feel the pain I woke up for real. It was dark and quiet, but there was no figure at the foot of my bed. I made a note of what I saw to give to Giles. He said he wanted to know if anything weird like that happened.

I got dressed in my "patrolling" clothes and headed downstairs. I'll admit I was afraid of what I'd find. Part of me hoped Hunter had changed his mind and left town. Immediately these hopes were crushed as Hunter came in holding a weapon in each hand and a wooden stake tied to his belt.

"Oh good…you're ready," Hunter said before handing me a stake and a knife. "You'll need both of these on you at all times. Being at Hellmouth you'll never know what to expect, so prepare for anything."

I rolled my eyes at his long explanation, "yeah, I get it…don't get all textbook on me."

The stake went into my jacket and I tucked the knife into the small of my back, underneath my shirt and jacket.

"Let's go then…" I pushed as Hunter seemed to be a bit nervous about leaving the house.

"Wait for me outside a moment."

As I left the house I noticed Giles and Hunter talking…one seemed to be reassuring the other. Maybe I was better off with Giles because Hunter looked paler than he did earlier.

When we finally left we patrolled a smaller cemetery, one that I hadn't become too familiar with. My nerves were at a peak as I was forced to evaluate hiding spots and freshly dugs graves…in an effort to not repeat the night before.

"I'll take the west side, and you go east. If you need help give a shout."

Hunter left before I could even make a reply, but I wasn't complaining. Having him at my back made me more nervous than a hungry vampire.

It wasn't long before a vampire stumbled towards me with bright yellow eyes. I grinned at him…He knew that I was a challenge for him, he knew that I was slayer.

"I'm going to kill you," he threatened.

I couldn't help but laugh at him, "you and what army!"

It was a natural jab that was supposed to intimidate the vampire into thinking he couldn't take me out by himself.

I ate my words.

The vampire laughed and two more appeared at either side of him, a red headed woman and a young man.

This was more than I had anticipated. Fighting multiple opponents wasn't something I was good at yet.

As I started fighting the first vampire I noticed Hunter running towards the scene. He quickly took on the second vampire while the third disappeared and I figured had run off.

I pulled out my stake and was close to hitting the mark three times, but he managed to grab my arm and twisted it back, 'causing me to scream in pain.

Hunter had finally dusted the woman and was moving in to help me, but I was finally getting the upper hand on him. I was really starting to enjoy this now.

Using my fighting skills, I kicked in the vampire's knee in and brought him to the ground. I took the stake and turned him to dust as it pierced the heart. There was an immediate feeling that came from this.

Looking up at Hunter I smiled at my accomplishment as I stood back up.

I'll never forget though the look on his face. It was horror, helplessness, a foreshadowing of death and failure.

I was tightly grabbed from behind. It was the third vampire. Apparently he was still around and just waiting for me to be caught off guard.

The young man held me in place before sinking his fangs into my throat.

The feeling was a strong combination of bliss and pain. For that moment I felt connected with the young vampire in a deadly sort of way of course, but I could feel how satisfying my blood was to his hunger. I was getting weaker and soon he was the only one supporting me.

I could see and hear Hunter watching the scene and shouting at me to pull the knife out and break free. He must not have known how entranced I was from the bloodletting. The pain was there as well, as I could feel my body go into shock…it felt like this was it for me, that I would die like many other slayers before me. I thought about Kendra and how she too couldn't defend herself once entranced by her killer.

My mouth was ajar in an effort to speak, and finally Hunter knew he had to take action.

The vampire holding me saw Hunter rushing towards us and immediately dropped me to the ground. I fell onto the leaf covered grass and didn't move.

Through my half close eyes I could see Hunter battling with the vampire. From my blood the vampire was stronger… although Hunter was still smarter and used a tombstone to trip the vampire before delivering the stake to the heart.

He rushed over to me and picked me up in his arms. It seemed like in a matter of seconds went by between the cemetery and home, but that must have only been because I was going in and out of consciousness.

Giles tended to the wound as Hunter paced the room in anger and frustration.

"Accidents happen Hunter. You must learn to be more aware of your surroundings and you shouldn't have delayed helping her. She could have died," Giles sounded angry at well.

I opened my eyes looked up at them as Giles was finishing the bandage, "It's my fault, I thought the third guy ran away. I froze. I couldn't control…"

Giles gave a heavy sigh, "It's alright Vivian. You're still new at this and your training is far from complete. We'll work harder so this doesn't happen again."

Hunter left the room and I could hear his bedroom door slam shut. He must have been disappointed in himself and it was made worse by the fact that this was our first patrol together.

I nodded to Giles and closed my eyes. I still felt weak from losing a lot of blood.

"Rest now…we'll talk in the morning," Giles stood up and draped a blanket over me.

He turned out the lights he headed upstairs.

It was close to impossible not to think of being defeated and bitten. The scene played a million times over in my head. I really thought I was going to die…Hunter thought I was going to die.

Slowly I raised a hand to touch the bandage and opened my eyes. This was it. This was real. I think it was at this point I realized my purpose, and this attack gave me a reason to fight. It created a fire inside of me…it wanted the destruction of all vampires, demons, monsters, and forces of evil. Nothing was going to stop me and I would have to become invincible…the perfect fighter.


	6. Chapter 6: Knowing the Enemy

Chapter 6: Knowing the Enemy

Giles had me complete our training by noon despite my attempts to work on into the evening. He said he needed a rest so I finally gave up. It was Hunter who was supposed to be training with me, but he still refused to come out of his room. I swear he was acting like a twelve year old girl.

I was okay though because the less of Hunter I saw the better I felt. It also kept the vampire attack last night out of my thoughts. Speaking of which, the wound had already healed nicely and Giles swear he couldn't see it from far away. Good enough for me.

The phone rang, which shook me up because I had never heard it ring before and I thought maybe we just didn't have one.

"We have a phone?" I questioned looking around.

"Yes, of course," Giles picked it up and said hello.

It was Angel and he had some important news to tell us in regards to the witch problem. Giles scribbled down some notes as he listened to Angel.

The phone conversation seemed to go on for about ten minutes. The look Giles had his face as he hanged up the phone said it all.

"Angel has identified who we're up against."

Giles paused a moment to grab a dusty book from the table and opened it to show me entry. The words were in a different language so Giles translated for me.

"Her name is Kali, a Hindu goddess associated with death and destruction…She is noted as having four arms. In her left hands she carries a sword and the severed head of her last victim. She also uses a cup to gather the blood of the victim as she severs the head; the use of this blood is unknown. She wears a garland of heads around her neck that come to represent the letters of the Sanskrit alphabet, and therefore represent a form of energy or a form of Kali herself. " He looked up at me, "I assume she's been drawn to the Hellmouth and wishes to unleash death and destruction upon the world. If this is what we're facing we're going to need help."

I had no words. I was still trying to process what Giles saying, but all I could see was this horrible image drawn in my mind from the book he was reading.

"Help? We're gonna need a freakn' army! I can't fight a Hindu goddess? Are you out of your British mind? Giles…I can barely take on three vampires even WITH help. A goddess? They have goddess powers and aren't they like untouchable? I get that I'm the slayer, but this is way out of my league here."

My hands were shaking at just the thought of facing off against a four armed goddess with heads everywhere and a giant sword.

"Wait…wait…You're telling me that the woman who came to me was her?"

Giles shook his head, "No, likely it was one of her devoted followers. It's noted that in the past a small number of her followers comprised of thieves and murders. They were called Thuggee cults and actually…there has been some recent research that suggests the cult still lives on in some parts of the world. However, Angel and I believe the woman who appeared to you is a witch. You see Neopagans believe Kali is a symbol of healing and repressed feminine power…which is a completely absurd interpretation given the primary documents."

I scratched the back of my neck a moment, "okay…so we're just up against a goddess of death, a band of thugs and a feminist hippy witch? Honestly Giles does it get any worse?"

"Uhm. No. Not that I of know of yet. Although, I'm quite concerned that you aren't taking this matter serious enough Vivian. Before you can even attempt to go after the goddess we must defeat this witch, for she hold the key to sending Kali back to her rightful realm. I wouldn't be surprised if this witch had somehow found the means to invoke Kali and is taking orders from her."

"Giles…I don't know what to think…" I started my defense but was rudely interrupted.

"It makes sense…Sure as hell explains the veil on this town. I'll handle it Giles…like you said, you're going to need help and I don't think Vivian is capable of handling this."

Hunter was stepping down from the stairs. I could tell these two were about to get into a major fight.

"And what makes you qualified? You haven't got the slayer strength, the agility or the resilience to fight anything of this magnitude. If you want to redeem yourself Hunter you're going to have to show you can work with a team."

Hunter laughed and shook his head at Giles, "oh no…don't give me that. You know I can work with a team, but I prefer to do this alone…I'm not going to risk getting Vivian killed and I can't watch both our backs at the same time. Besides…I think you're slipping Giles, and you know why? While I was upstairs I did a little research. Did you know that in the past week five people have gone missing and were found dead with their skin missing? I guess you're too busy with your books to realize a Rakshasa demon is at work here."

I had no idea what a Rakshasa demon was, but I felt the need to defend Giles.

"Isn't that why you're here? You're here to help me, not to take over."

Something in me just snapped. All my anger towards Hunter and his snide remarks made towards Giles led me to take action. I charged at him at superhuman speed and tackled him down to the wood floor and punched him in the face till blood stained my fists. I could hear Giles yelling at me to stop but I wasn't listening at all…

"You're going to listen to me now! I have the power. I am the slayer. You weren't there for me...you have no right to even be here!"

As I punched and yelled, Hunter cunningly pulled a knife from his pocket quickly put it out in the hopes I'd stop, but instead he sliced me right across the face.

In an effort to protect myself I flew backwards and covered my face with my hands. My blood was mixing with Hunter's on my hands and my knuckles were swollen. The cut went diagonally across my face, all the way from the right side of my forehead to my left jaw bone was deep.

Giles was horrified by what had happened. Not only had I beaten Hunter up pretty bad, the favor was returned more viciously than either of us thought.

"Get out! Out of my house! You've done enough here…now leave!" Giles looked dark and threatening at Hunter, a side I didn't think the old man had.

Hunter wiped his face with his arm. He held a look of astonishment and guilt before he left out the front door to take off on his motorcycle.

I had backed myself up against the wall shielding my face as best I could from the warm air.

"Let me take a look," he said gently as he got down on his knees beside me.

Reluctantly I slowly moved my hands away and opened my eyes just slightly to see him. Blood was dripping down both sides of my face and made it difficult to look out of my right eye. It was from his facial response that I knew it was as bad as it felt.

After some screaming and groaning in pain, Giles cleaned and bandaged my hands and did what he could for my face. He didn't say much…Of course I didn't expect him to. I think he was just as hurt as I was for Hunter's actions and my own.

"I could have stood up for myself Vivian. You didn't have to attack him like that, it was quite unnecessary." He paused, "You'll heal quickly, but there will be most likely a permanent scar."

Of course, a painful reminder of the watcher I could have had.

I sighed and shook my head, "I couldn't help myself. I never want to see him again…Can we just go on patrol tonight? I feel like letting out some anger."

"I usually would oppose such actions, but after today I couldn't agree with you more. Sometimes anger is good to have in battle, but you must also have a clear head…don't forget what you're facing and use the anger without letting it take control of you."

I stood up from the floor for the first time and went over to the mirror in the bathroom. I peeled away some of the gauze and realized why Giles was shocked. Not only was the cut large, it was deep.

"I'm going out to bring us dinner. Don't eat anything," he called out to me before leaving the house.

I acknowledge his leaving and headed upstairs to my room to write.

_Sometimes I miss my family. I miss the normality it held, the daily boring routine I crave when tomorrow seems so unknown and the future bleak. Working with Hunter was mistake to begin with. He knows nothing about me or Giles and has no respect for either of us. He's gone now, but I imagine he'll be back. They always come back someday. Besides, I doubt Hunter would leave when he has the chance to take on a goddess. Maybe I should just let him, you know? Better him than me. I'm too valuable to die apparently. I wonder what Buffy or Faith would do in this situation. According to Giles's journal, Buffy had faced a goddess before, a goddess of a hell dimension. It wasn't Buffy that defeated her though…it was Giles. He killed Glory when she was trapped in the body of a man named Ben. That also took place while Buffy jumped to her death to close the portal between the two dimensions. Kinda strange that the day I became a slayer this goddess named Glory was defeated…and now I would face a goddess named Kali. Would Kali be in someone else's body too? Perhaps the witch…_

_I wonder what Mom would be saying about all this. It would probably scare her, or maybe she wouldn't even believe me. Maybe when this is all over I can go visit them…let them know I'm still alive. By now they probably think I'm dead. On second thought, I should leave it at that. It's better than: Mom I'm a slayer. I kill things, people…I'm really strong and can heal fast. I know you're mad at me; you have the right to be. It was immature of me to run like that, but I was scared Mom, and I knew you or dad wouldn't understand. _

I put down the pen and realized how my writing was just all over the place. My thoughts were all over the place. The front door opened before I could crumble and throw away the paper.

When I came downstairs the sight of me gave Giles a startle. I looked down and sighed.

"Sorry…just not used to…Never mind," he stopped short. "I hope you like ribs, it's the only fast food they have around here."

I sat down at the table and filled my plate with some ribs and French fries. We pretty much ate in silence till Giles remembered Hunter's remark about the Rakshasa demon. It turns out he was right about one being in town.

"Rakshasas are tricky demons. They're Hindu in origin, which does draw some connections to Kali. They are shapeshifters who can appear as an animal or human. In their true form they are green and they use their poisonous fingernails to take down their prey. It's important that you not make contact with their fingernails as the poison will kill you, but it's more likely the Rakshasa will have devoured your flesh by then."

I put down the rib I was eating and raised a brow at Giles. "You sure have a strange idea of dinner conversation, you know that?"

"Quite aware actually…I apologize."

"You don't have to apologize…but to be honest I can't wait till I kill it. It sounds ugly and disturbing…I can't even imagine the teeth or claws this thing must have…"

Something occurred to me just then…

I quickly stood up and wiped my hands clean with a towel, "Giles I don't think we have to worry about hunting this thing down…I think it knows right where we are."

"What makes you so sure this?" Giles stood up and looked around a moment.

"A dream…I had been meaning to give you this…" I took the note out of my pocket and handed it to him.

As he started to read it he nodded, "This slayer…I'm familiar with her son actually."

Giles read further to the part that even made him scratch his head. "I see what you mean. This does sound like an encounter with a Rakshasa. This is good…these dreams are meant to teach you, to train you not to make the mistakes of the slayers that have come before you. Premonitions are also a slayer gift and we shouldn't ignore this.

That night we decided not to go on patrol, yet instead we'd wait the first half of the night for the Rakshasa. Giles figured it would come early so it could have the rest of the night to snack. I pretended to go to bed but took with me a large sword under my robe. Giles was standing by outside my door in case I needed help.

It took a good hour of pretending to sleep before I heard the sound of canine feet in my bathroom. I purposely left my bathroom window open so it would use that as an entrance. The Rakshasa must have shapeshifted into something that could fly through it before turning into a dog.

This was it…my pulse was quickening as I could feel it coming closer to my bed. My hand tightened around the sword. When I opened my eyes the sight was similar to the dream…I saw claws and teeth coming right at me, but this time I pulled back the sheets and used the sword to stab the dog right through the stomach and threw both down on the floor.

Giles came running into the room with his weapon drawn and saw the dead dog on the carpet.

"Are you sure it…" before I could finish my sentence the shapeshifter reverted back to its original form.

I couldn't help but feel proud of myself and Giles was too.

"That wasn't so hard….Man…It puts me on fire!" I laughed and in the moment forgot all about Hunter. "Can we go patrolling now?"

Giles nodded, "If you think you're up for it that's fine with me. First we'll need to bury the Rakshasa across the street. I'll grab the shovels. Can you carry him?"

I pulled the sword out of his gut and nodded to Giles, "yeah…see you across the street."

This demon shapeshifter only stood at about five feet or so, yet he was a little big around the waist, so it made things a little difficult. Slayer strength was just enough to haul the demon out the window on the side of the house. I jumped down to the ground to join him and carried him off across the street without being seen by a single soul.

Giles had already started digging and once I joined in we had a pretty deep hole. With the demon all buried and taken care of we returned to the house and prepared for a patrol. I could tell he was happy to be joining me this time, as was I…It just felt safer to have Giles there.

I had no idea what we were going to face on this patrol…perhaps if I had known what I do now I wouldn't have gone out that night.


	7. Chapter 7: The Better Half of Me

Chapter 7: The Better Half of Me

"There's a meteor shower tonight, you know?" I pointed to the sky and continued to walk with Giles while my eyes were searching for a meteor.

"Yes..." Giles said holding a large bag of weapons with very little ease on his shoulder.

"When I was little I wanted to be an astronaut. Float around…be free and walk on other planets. The skies have always fascinated me, and here…it's amazing."

"Believe me the countryside's of England are much more beautiful."

I couldn't help but laugh as Giles compared Pennsylvania to England.

"Maybe when we're all done here you can take me with you. I've always wanted to see Europe. I've toured the U.S. enough; Europe is just another challenge."

Some silence fell between us. I think it was the fact that "when we're all done here" meant either we'd break the veil and another slayer could take my place or…I would die. Logically speaking those were the only two ways Giles would have the chance to go back to England. I wasn't naïve at all; I knew what being a slayer meant now and I had a duty now to protect the world.

We were now focusing on the witch behind all this. Part of me knew that she wouldn't appear if Giles was around since she never did before. So if I wanted her to come out I needed to ditch Giles.

"Don't let her manipulate you. Powerful witches can discover anything you're hiding and use it against you. Just remember that headache…that's a sign she's looking into your thoughts and memories."

I nodded to Giles and grabbed a wooden stake, a knife, and a gun…"A gun?" I questioned holding up the .45 caliber handgun.

"Well she is human," he reminded me.

I shrugged and took the gun anyway. "I'm going to take a walk around…"

Giles didn't seem to notice when I slipped out of the cemetery and started walking down the streets.

It was a humid night and it was easy to break a sweat. I continued to walk down Center Street looking for anything unusual. The streets were quiet except for the occasional car carrying tourists who were looking for a place to crash for the night. At this point I considered going back to the cemetery, but my efforts finally paid off.

It was a cute little house with a flag pole out front, but that wasn't what attracted me to the Bartholomew Schisler Funeral Home.

A screaming woman exited the home and ran towards me for help. "Call 911! He's not dead! He's not dead!"

Oh yes. I can assure you he's dead alright...

I ran into the funeral home and saw the vampire looking around confused. When I took the stake out from my coat he then took off running out a back door almost immediately.

Note: never take out the stake until you've got the vamp cornered.

For being a dead the guy he sure had some stamina. I chased him all the way down Pine Street and we cut over to New Street till we ended up at a place I thought might be his home.

Using his vampire strength he kicked down the door to the business and ran inside. I chased after him, but I had a laugh at his choice of venue.

_Knock on Wood_

Now I was starting to feel a little bad for this vampire 'cause he led me right to a woodworking business. This poor guy must have known nothing about what he had become, but he did know I wanted to destroy him. Call it a vampire instinct.

"Come on big guy…I know you're here. You must be scared, confused, thirsty, and soulless, but I'm here to help you."

I spoke softly, like you would to a child who couldn't find their parents. From what I could tell this guy was completely clueless. And to my big surprise it worked...

The man…fangs included…came out of a closet under the stairs. That's when I realized this guy was probably a few years younger than me.

When he came out he seemed alarmed at first, but then it turned to concern, "Are you dead too?"

"What? No…" I responded kinda shocked.

"Do you know what's wrong with me? Why am I like this? Am I some kind of zombie? 'Cause I died…but I woke up," his voice had a hint of Boston in it.

"No not a zombie, you're a vampire. You know…fangs, drink blood, burn in the sunlight?" I took a few steps closer and held the stake tightly behind my back.

"Oh…you're right," the man felt his teeth gently. "And there is this hunger inside of me, and it's for blood?"

"Yup," I nodded and began to feel incredibly stupid talking to this guy. "Is this where you worked?"

"Yeah…My dad owns this place. I guess he hasn't been to work since I died," he frowned.

"I'm sorry. I can help you though…Of course I can't bring you back to life, but I can undo what some vampire bastard did to you."

He looked at me and understood, "I know. You must be like some kind of vampire hunter right? That's why you know all this stuff?"

"You could say that," I smiled. "Look, you seem like a really nice guy…for being soulless. I promise I'll do this quick..."

"Do what?" He questioned.

Before the man could react I jabbed the stake through his heart and he turned to dust on the wood floor. That was difficult, but I knew once the hunger really took over him he'd lose his charm.

When I turned around a woman was standing in the doorway. "Didn't your Watcher ever tell you not to taunt your vampires?"

I didn't know what to say…or what to do. Somewhere in the process I dropped my stake and it laid by my right foot. What I really needed now was the gun.

"What do you want? If you wanted to kill me you would have done it by now. Am I right?"

The woman who once appeared to me by pretending to be a slayer took a couple steps closer to me.

"Your face got a makeover…I take it the demons don't take too kindly to your taunting," she grinned.

I rolled my eyes and tried to think of a comeback line. "You wish."

The witch looked genuinely surprised as I could feel her in my head, "Oh? A watcher did this? Was it Rupert Giles?"

"No, my other Watcher...Now look, cut the crap and tell me what you want. I know about Kali and I know how you used Giles and my dreams against me."

She nodded, "Fair enough…my plan was to manipulate you. I want you to either leave or join us. After I summoned Kali her she told me to use a spell to place a veil preventing your kind from entering anywhere near the Hellmouth…Slayers. I learned quickly what a Slayer was and was not from your Watcher and what you've been told. You're meant to be a force of evil…it's in your blood Vivian. I know you restrain yourself from letting go…but why? There's no one here holding you back. If you join with Kali you can still kill vampires, but what about people that have wronged you? Like your abusive Watcher…wouldn't you like to even the score? You know you can do it."

My hand touched the gun hanging out of my pocket. So that was the plan…Me coming in was just a freak accident. So far it seemed this witch was running the show, but she didn't sound like the hippy type Giles believed her to be.

"You wanna know why you were able to break through that veil? The purpose of the veil is to let in powerful forces of evil...demons, gods, vampires, and all that. A Slayer is a chosen, chosen to fight against the forces of evil, therefore she cannot pass through the veil…and those that try will die. So there must be something about you Vivian that's evil…care to share? I'd hate to give that little head of yours another headache. Oh and by the way…don't bother trying to find a way to break the veil. It's here to stay…you see that magick is ancient and it's for the next one-hundred years."

I listened to every word closely…my hand froze on the handle of the gun. The witch had a point…there must be a reason for this. I had no clue though what she was talking about and part of me refused to believe this veil was unbreakable.

The witch looked disappointed, "You honestly have no idea what I'm talking about. Rupert Giles has once again left you in the dark. Such a shame. You see he knows exactly why you were able to pass through that veil…he found out from your little vampire friend with a soul. See, while you were busy chasing down vampires, I dabbled into Rupert's mind for an update…well minus your little family drama." She motioned to her face, moving her finger into the pattern of my scar.

"Tell me," I demanded.

To be honest I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the truth. Whatever it was Giles was protecting me from it, so it must not have been a good thing. Of course it couldn't be a good thing. I suddenly felt dirty.

"No. Ask Rupert. Make sure he explains everything…I want you to learn from him why Kali and I desire you to join us. And I almost forgot…My name is Cassidy, so you can stop calling me the witch. I want everyone to know who summoned Kali and brought about the end of the world."

She walked outside and disappeared before I left _Knock on Wood. _Slowly I returned back to the cemetery to find Giles.

At this point I was seriously confused and wondered what was it about me that Kali or this witch would be interested in? There was also a part of me that was pissed off at Giles for not telling the truth about what Angel said on the phone. It hurt. I didn't know who to trust anymore…

I turned down another street and pulled out my phone. From the contacts list I called Angel's number.

"Hello?" his familiar voice answered.

"Hey...Angel. This is Vivian…the slayer from—"

"What's wrong Vivian? Has something happened?" His tone was serious and quick with urgency.

Now I started to feel guilty…like I had called Angel and it wasn't an emergency. For a moment I froze and almost forgot what I was going to say.

"What did you tell Giles about me? Giles isn't telling me something and I need to know what."

I was on the verge of crying as my desperate voice pleaded with him over the phone.

"You mean Giles didn't tell you about…" Angel stopped short as he couldn't understand why Giles would keep this information from me.

"Tell me Angel. The witch…I saw her tonight and she knows what is and she wants me to join them…she says it has something to do with veil and why they want me. Damnit Angel someone needs to tell me what the hell is going on here!"

"It's alright, just calm down okay?" he gave a heavy sigh, "Giles was supposed to tell you 'cause this isn't something someone should hear over the phone, but I'll tell you anyway. When I came back to Los Angeles I had my team do some research on you and your family. Now don't take this the wrong way but something about you didn't smell right." He paused a moment sounding frustrated, "Recently things have been going on with me that I don't understand…like your scent not being entirely human. Then as it turns out I was right. Do you remember your father?"

"Not much…my real father disappeared before I was born. Then after a few years my mom remarried and refused to talk about my real dad."

"Your real father was a Sadecki demon. Considering your mother is a human...that makes you half-demon. It can be hard to identify Sadecki demons because they look like the general population except for their abilities and sometimes glowing eyes. Your father was capable of mind-reading, influencing others, some telekinesis. I wouldn't be surprised if you have these abilities, or at least a few of them."

Angel paused waiting to hear my reaction. I was speechless as I took a seat on a curb in disbelief. How the hell could MY father be a demon? Mom would totally not go for that…Hell she didn't even like vampire movies because she said she couldn't relate to it. If Angel was right about this my mom would probably have a stroke.

"A demon? That's impossible...that's insane and how could I be a slayer and a half-demon? Isn't that like a contradiction or something?"

"Well you're still half human and female. Besides… a slayer's power originally came from a demon, that's what grants you speed, endurance and added strength."

"Yeah…so I've been told," I remembered from what Cassidy told me.

"Are you okay with this?" Angel asked as I was still really quiet.

"I think so…just…I don't know. I mean...I've seen pictures of my dad and he looked like a normal guy. Do you think that's why he left my mom?" I looked around as I reflected back on my life, trying to figure out if I was this abomination Angel described.

"I don't know Vivian. Look, I know this is hard to comprehend right now but you've got friends alright? Don't feel like you're alone in this. Promise me you'll talk to Giles? And tell him I'm coming back out there as soon as I finish a case here. Alright?"

Yeah," I paused, "Bye."

I shoved my phone back into my pants pocket and stayed on the ground for a few more minutes in thought. My mother was oblivious to who my father really was. She had to be. I also never really asked much about him growing up 'cause I just accepted my step dad as my father.

"Figures," I sighed before standing up.

I continued to walk back to the cemetery. Even though I was pissed off with every fiber of my being at Giles; I couldn't leave him in the cemetery for vampire bait.

As it turns out Giles spotted me first and came walking towards me with his bag of weapons and the British look of anger. Although…I'm not really sure what that is exactly, it's kinda hard to describe.

"Where have you been?" he commanded.

I rolled my eyes, "slaying. Until the wicked witch of North shows up, but I'm sure you already knew she was out here. Although I'm glad she did find me because apparently you two both know something about me that I don't."

When Giles started to talk I stopped him, "Don't waste your breath. I already called Angel and heard the whole thing."

Turning away I started walking back to the house and I could hear Giles following close behind.

"Vivian wait, I didn't feel you were ready to hear the truth. To be honest …with the Hunter situation, Kali, and the witch I thought it would be better to tell you after."

His tone sounded condescending but I was still pissed. I quickly turned around and looked at him: "You don't think I have the right to know WHY I didn't die entering Nazareth? Or WHY Kali and Cassidy haven't killed me? Don't you think I have the right to know? Giles you're I have right now…to me you're the expert on this. I don't know anything about demons, vampires, witches, or gods. I just know if I'm supposed slay evil, that's what I'm made to do now and obviously no matter where I go this shit is going to follow me. Don't keep things like this from me…EVER. I thought we were supposed to be honest."

Giles didn't respond as I continued to walk back to the house and went up to my room and shut the door. I fell down on my bed and threw my journal across the room so hard that it broke my table lamp when it made contact. I didn't care…and it felt good to hear it shatter.

I laid there for hours staring at the ceiling and feeling my face. It scared me just thinking about how powerful Cassidy and Kali were. I was also the only one who could stop them from unleashing Hell on Earth. As long as the veil remained, no other slayer could step in to take my place.

I couldn't sleep. Not with all the thoughts that were racing through my head. So once I heard Giles go to bed I sneaked down to the basement and started training on my own. My hands were already healed so I made use of the bunching bags and the dummy. I pictured the dummy as my demon father…I was angry at him for leaving, and for making me more of a freak. I kept training till the sun rose and I fell asleep on the matt in exhaustion.


	8. Chapter 8: Of a Kind

Chapter 8: Of a Kind

"Get ready…We're leaving here in fifteen minutes," Giles informed me once I staggered to the kitchen for some much needed breakfast.

Leaving? I wasn't sure where we were going, so I took a shower and met Giles back downstairs once I was ready to go.

He didn't seem angry with me. Although I was still fuming because we hadn't talked about what happened last night. It also didn't seem like Giles was going to bring it up either.

When we got in the car he started to drive towards Bethlehem to our mysterious destination. The radio remained off and I found myself staring out the passenger window waiting for him to say something.

"Are you disappointed in me?"

The question escaped my lips before my thoughts could stop them from moving.

Giles immediately answered: "No. You have every right to be mad at me for not telling you about your father. I just couldn't risk you losing focus or leaving town, though I never imagined or considered the witch would find out. I apologize."

I sighed and continued to look out the window as we passed by Bethlehem's first cemetery entering the city.

"I don't feel evil. And all those powers Angel mentioned…I can't do any of that. Do you think he was wrong? If I could do those things wouldn't you think I'd know by now? Also, what kind of freak does this make me now? A slayer who also just happens to come from a demon father? Work with me here Giles…I'm about as screwed over as they come."

My sudden laughter seemed to make Giles uncomfortable as he drove. It might have been that he didn't find the situation humorous or he was afraid I'd freak if he agreed with me.

"I agree these are unique circumstances. Now your watcher I feel it is best for you to choose the next move. Either you could choose to ignore the demon side of your heritage or I could help to train you. There are many relaxation exercises that could allow you to access these abilities and help you in battle."  
I sighed again as we passed another cemetery in Bethlehem, "I don't know. What if….what if something goes wrong?"

Giles didn't seem to understand what I was hinting towards, "Nothing could go wrong Vivian. We'll just be establishing a connection to something that's already lying dormant inside you."

That didn't make me feel any better.

"Can we keep this between us? And Angel…" It was a little embarrassing to know I wasn't all human and I didn't want Hunter knowing this either.

"Yes, of course. You have my word." Giles looked over at me and the tension between us seemed to have lifted at that point.

"I'll let you know…I need some time to think about it."

A few minutes later we had finally reached the heart of Bethlehem and I still had no idea why Giles had driven us down here at such a short notice.

Were we picking up Angel? That didn't seem likely since it was daylight out…vampires don't like sun much, even if they have a soul.

When we parked the car there were lots of trees and people walking or on bicycles carrying around backpacks. This was a college. My heart rate went up as I feared Giles wanted me to start school here.

"Please tell me you aren't sending me here…I'm smart Giles, honestly. School is expensive and classes are early in the morning…how could I learn to be a better slayer if I'm tired and doing homework? Please reconsider this…"

He started to laugh once he realized what I had meant by this, "School? Of course not! Vivian, I'd never make that sort of decision for you. We're here to meet someone. I picked this location because it would be easier for her find."

"Oh. Good," I chuckled in nervous laughter, but stopped once I realized someone was waiting for us. "Wait. Who are we meeting?"

"Buffy Summers has agreed to come here and meet with you. I thought it would be a good idea for you to meet another slayer. I called her and she agreed to it."

I was kind of shocked because I remembered Giles telling me that they weren't talking. I knew that he was doing this because of Hunter and what was expected of me now. Although I suddenly felt my stomach sinking into itself: What was I going to say to Buffy? I knew a lot about her now thanks to Giles's journal. She was "thee" slayer and has been tested by more demons, vampires, and creatures than I probably ever will. Then something else occurred to me…why would Buffy Summers want to meet me? She has a whole army of slayers with her. Maybe she just wanted to meet her second slayer replacement…perhaps to see if I was anything like Faith. Maybe it bugged her that Angel was helping me? There were countless reasons Buffy would want to meet me and I was afraid to know which one was true.

I walked with Giles quietly as we got closer to the campus and I could see her sitting at a bench texting something on a cell phone.

"Giles, what the hell do I say to her?" I whispered nervously.

"Be yourself. You two have much more in common than you think. She was once in your shoes…well sort of. Nevertheless, just be friendly."

His pep talk didn't do much to ease my nerves as I took a seat at the bench.

I shook Buffy's hand and introduced myself as she did the same. There was a lot of strength in her hand shake and it nearly crushed my hand. From the quiver in her smile I could tell she was just as nervous as I was. That was a bit more comforting.

"I think I'll take a walk around. Perhaps check out their library…and let you two talk," Giles said before leaving.

"So…..Giles has told me a little about you. He said you were the next slayer called when I died to close the portal. I imagine that must have been scary…not knowing what was going on."

Buffy appeared to be trying really hard to start the conversation, so I went with it.

"Uh yeah…I just ran. Packed a bag, got in my car, and took off out onto the open road. I got by anyway I could and just kept moving. I thought I could escape whatever was going on until I started dreaming about vampires and seeing other women fighting them. I didn't know what they meant or who these people were. Then I got attacked by those blind ninja priest guys…"

"Bringers."

"Yeah them. I managed to shake 'em off and I fought harder to keep moving 'cause I was afraid they'd catch up and find me. I've traveled all around…perhaps looking for answers or a place that felt right. Then I ended up in Nazareth and Giles sprang me out of police custody. He tells me I'm a slayer and I tell him he's a nut job." I couldn't help but laugh. "A British guy in Nazareth looking for me was strange enough…of course the surprises didn't end there. My real watched showed up a couple days ago. He's a real bastard…as you can see," I pointed to my face. "But we're up against a Hindu goddess and a real powerful witch. I don't know how I'm going to win this on my own. I guess that's the sum of me."

Buffy seemed really interested in what I had to say or was just good at faking it. She seemed shocked to hear what my Watcher did to me and I guess I still was too. When I got down to the current situation she didn't seem to have a lot of hope for me, but I didn't expect her to.

"I remember going up against Glory. She was powerful…and had horrible taste in clothes. The only reason we were able to kill her was because she was trapped in the body of this nurse...poor guy. At first he had no idea what was going on. Giles killed her…err him and I died to save my sister after Glory tried to open some gate portal thingy. You were meant to be the next slayer Vivian…I was supposed to stay dead. My friends meant well bringing me back…but…I was happy, that's all I remember. I knew another slayer would take my place and I accepted that." She changed to the current situation, "After defeating the Hellmouth in Sunnydale things have been pretty hairy. I've had to make tough decisions…some that I never thought I'd make. Being a slayer means growing up fast, whether you like it or not."

I watched her closely. Buffy looked away most of the time but made eye contact on her points that really mattered. Although I wasn't so sure I could relate to her. I had no friends, no decisions to make except for one at the moment, and I wasn't sure if I had grown up yet. I was still relatively young when I became a slayer.

"I don't think Kali is trapped in a human body. Hell I only know what she looks like from some ancient text. The witch scares me though…she knows way more things than me and I can't compete with that. If I can't take down a witch though how am I supposed to take down some goddess? Buffy this is my first big bad. I don't have friends to back me up…or hardly enough training and no way of knowing how to kill her or send her home."

I sighed realizing how screwed I was. Buffy was able to see it on my face, but she didn't say anything for a while.

"I know it seems impossible, but you need to have hope that you'll beat this. I admit in the beginning I had no idea what I was doing most of the time. Instinct is your most valuable weapon: use it. If something doesn't feel right or you anticipate a move, listen to that voice in your head and go with it. Listen to it. The other half is to be smart. Listen to Giles when he tells you something…I think my life would have been easier sometimes if I had listened to Giles and taken things more seriously….like studying."

She seemed a little sad about something and perhaps if I had known more about Buffy's past I would have known then what it was.

"Thanks Buffy. I know you're really busy and honestly with all those other slayers out there and all over the world…why did you want to meet me?"

She gave a brief smile as if to kind of take in the feeling of being known or legendary.

"It's nothing really. The others….they have each other, but you…you have no one out there. No backup slayers like we have now. Call me sentimental. I know what you're possibly up against and I have faith that Giles will prepare you. Back in Sunnydale I wish I had someone who really knew what I was going through to tell me what to do…things that a Watcher can't really understand, you know?"

Buffy pulled out a piece of paper and wrote her number on it, "If you have a question or you need help don't be afraid to call me. I'm here for you Vivian and I hope someday you'll be able to join my team."

"Thanks. It means a lot," I took the piece of paper and suddenly Renegade by Styx was playing…

I took my phone out and saw I had a text message from Angel but I didn't open it. I remembered Giles telling me not to mention him around Buffy, so I put the phone back in my pocket.

Buffy stood up from the table, "I guess I should find Giles and let him know how things are doing in the field."

I nodded, "I think I'm going to have a look around anyway…take your time."

She smiled and walked in the direction of the library while I stayed at the table and took back out my phone. I opened the message and it read:_ I'll be arriving sometime tonight and tell Giles I found the book he wanted. _

I texted him back an okay and left the table to wander around. I didn't envy any of them…books, homework, loans, and parties. I never planned to go to college anyway. Living in Portland, Oregon was tough for me. Our "family" trip to my aunt's house was actually my parent's last attempt of trying to bring us closer together. My mom worked all the time as an insurance agent and my dad was surgeon. Perhaps it even took them a couple days to realize I wasn't coming home. I don't know…guess that life doesn't matter anymore, it's in the past.

Eventually I went back to the car after getting some strange and annoying stares from the students. They knew I wasn't one of them.

As I leaned against the car I got another text message and opened it without reading the number

_Have you made your decision?_

I didn't understand what this meant, but I did once I saw the number was unknown. I keep my head down and started to panic.

Was she watching me right now? How did she get my number? And what should I text back? If I told her no, would she come after me then? Giles and I weren't prepared for an attack yet.

I closed the phone and when I looked up I saw Giles heading towards me.

"Dude…we got a problem. I just got a text message from Cassidy. She wants to know if I've decided to join her. Oh and I also got one from Angel…he said he's coming tonight and he has your book."

"Oh good…to the second thing, not the first. Yes…well, don't respond. That should buy us more time. Quite remarkable how she's chosen to contact you through your cell phone. How was she able to find your number…very strange."

We got in the car and started to drive back to Nazareth. Giles never asked how my conversation with Buffy went, but he did ask if meeting her helped.

"A little. I think Buffy and I come from different worlds…well…I guess that's sorta true, though not my point. I mean she's a lot better slayer than I am and the circumstances were different. Besides…I think Buffy only came out here for two reasons: First to see who her replacement was and the second to see you." I shrugged, "I can read some people."

Giles shook his head, "I think you're being overly simplistic about Buffy's intents. She is in a horrible position at the moment: she really desires to help you, but understands that she physically can't. Buffy has fought and given up a lot of things to keep this world safe; knowing she can't protect the Hellmouth in Nazareth has left her feeling uneasy."

"She doesn't trust me. I get that…I don't trust me either, but she told me I should follow my instincts. Right now they're telling me we need to train some more today. If this witch can get inside my head then I need to move quickly without thinking about it. Guns are out…they're too slow, so let's try working with knives."

He gave a short reply and picked up the speed. Giles didn't say anything about what he and Buffy talked about and I really didn't care.

When we finally pulled into the driveway I got another text…Unknown. I looked up at Giles. My hands were shaking in anticipation and fear. "It's her again…"

"What does it say?"

I bit my lip after I read the short message and sighed…things were getting more complicated.

"It says: I've got ur Watcher. If u don't agree 2 my terms & appear at 365 Broad Street alone u'll find him in pieces."

"This could be a trap…to lure you right where she wants you." Giles started to clean his glasses as we sat in the car.

"I guess I'll find out then wont I? I'm not taking the risk…as much as I hate Hunter he doesn't deserve that."

I walked into the house with him close behind me: "I'm going to change…meet you in the basement. Get out your mojo crystals and chanting music. If we're going to end this I'll need those abilities. I want you to throw at me all you got…I wanna be ready for this bitch."


	9. Chapter 9: Angel and Demon

Chapter 9: Angel and Demon

Things started simple: high kicks, low kicks, jump kicks, punches, backflips, ducking, and a combination of everything at once. Giles was about to quit once Angel showed up.

I thought training would be done at that point but Angel took over as my trainer. He took off his jacket, unbuttoned his shirt, and removed his shoes. I couldn't help but stare…although he didn't seem to mind it, or maybe he just didn't realize I was staring.

The problem with this match up was that Angel was faster and a lot stronger than Giles. Angel seemed to have a lot more experience than Giles…so I had to work harder. It was like the vampire was able to calculate my moves and send me flying backwards. It was difficult making the quick adjustments, but it was exactly what I needed.

"Can you be a little less predictable Vivian? You're thinking too much about it; just let the rest of your body do the work."

I huffed in anger and continued fighting him with no pausing between swings or kicks…treating him much like a punching bag that moved away from some of my shots.

Finally I caught a break when Angel was suddenly thrown across the room and into a pile of equipment. My initial instinct was to laugh at him, but I became confused as to how Angel was thrown by an invisible force.

Angel slowly got up and brushed himself off. He looked at me confused, "How'd you do that?"

I stared at him blankly, "You think I did it? There is no way I could have done that."

Giles was standing on the stairway with a cup of tea in his hand looking down at us. "Telekinesis. A rather strong use of telekinesis…When Angel told you to let your body do the work you did just that…It saw the threat and used the telekinesis within yourself to rid of Angel."

I shook my head, "I didn't feel any different…I didn't do anything."

"Sadecki demon, that's right…" Angel remembered, "That explains it. We should try working on that…I guarantee you that witch won't be expecting it."

"She already knows what I am…remember?" I took a seat on the balance beam.

"Yes, but she might believe you don't know how to use those abilities. Otherwise you would have used them in your last encounter," Giles offered once he reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I think she's ready Giles. To be honest she's got more stamina than Buffy did at her age and I think that may make up for the lack of experience."

I raised my brow at Angel and a chuckle escaped me. Both men were looking at me for an explanation.

"Nothing…I'm going to take a shower."

A hesitant Giles agreed while I walked up the stairs and escaped to my bedroom. I found peace there once I shut the door and started to run the shower. For some reason I felt the need to be clean before going to war.

It was quick. I used some cheap shampoo and conditioner that was supposed to smell like mangoes. I washed. I dried. I put clothes on.

Once I was back on my bed I started to write a letter. It started out to be to my parents, but it was changed to just Mom.

I tried to write everything I wanted to say to her in that letter: why I left, how I was, what I discovered….and why I died.

It was an act of covering all my bases. I figured there was a probable chance I wouldn't survive this…that even if I defeated the witch, Kali would still be the end of me.

The hardest part was telling her about dad. I knew she probably would just think I was crazy, but maybe she knew more than I thought. It was worth a shot.

When I finished the letter I folded it up and left it on the table addressed to my mom with the street and everything for Giles or Angel.

As I sat back down on my bed I realized I wasn't sad, I wasn't excited either…I was scared. Not so much afraid of dying, but afraid of how I might die, or what would happen if I did die. I had a lot to carry on my shoulders, which was a change from only having only myself to look after on the road.

My mind began to wander as I let my body rest from all the training. I thought about how I was able to throw Angel across the room without even knowing it. It didn't feel like I had control of it, but I knew there was no other explanation.

I stared at my shoes on the floor and tried to get them to move…nothing happen. No matter how hard I focused and concentrated in the direction of the shoes…nothing happened. I was beginning to get frustrated when Giles knocked on the door.

"Come in…"

I sat up on the bed and he took a seat on the edge. The expression on his face foreshadowed what speech he was about to give. I didn't want to hear this…not now.

"I don't think I need to remind you how important it is that you be careful out there, Vivian. I know that you're smart, strong, and fully capable of defeating this witch. Remember, she's only human. Disable her from her weapons and you'll hold the advantage. Also be prepared for the unexpected… Angel and I will have your back. In the event she is holding Hunter, its best we get him free as soon as we can….'cause he might be useful in our defense if he's unharmed."

Watching Giles talk was like watching a coach give me a pep talk or something before a major game. It was somewhat comforting to see the same fear in his eyes that I felt in my gut.

'This isn't right…I shouldn't be sending her out there, she's not ready.'

I was looking away when I heard Giles speak as if I wasn't even there. "That's really encouraging Giles…I have to go out there whether I'm ready or not. We've got no other choice now."

He looked at me surprised and at a loss for words, "I never…said such a thing."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Yeah you did; just now…I'm not deaf."

"Remarkable," Giles said standing up. "That's twice now…and you seem to be doing it without any effort. I wonder if stress is the factor...or maybe the crystals allowed it."

"Oh god…you never said that did you?" I was quickly able to catch on to what Giles was thinking of.

There was an awkward moment of Giles looking astonished. Luckily, Angel interrupted.

"We ready to go?" He asked looking at both of us.

"Yeah let's do this…" I leapt up and went down the hall to let Giles and Angel talk while I gathered weapons.

I put the same gun in the back of my jeans and also carried a variety of other weapons…some were just in case we encountered a vampire. I took out a really decorative sword and stared at it…the jewels on the handle shined from the light in the room.

There was still a lot of doubt as to whether I could defeat Cassidy. Also…defeating Cassidy would mean taking someone's life. That aspect I really hadn't addressed with Giles or Angel. Monsters, vampires, demons, gods…they weren't meant to be here, and that's why I slayed them. Witches were people…highly corrupt and sometimes bat crazy, but they're still people.

I snapped out of my thoughts and together we headed down the street. Our destination was the address from the text message. Angel drove us there and we parked at the cemetery that was nearby.

From the outside the building was dark and appeared abandoned. There were a lot of trees hiding it's windows. I could feel my hands starting to shake, my feet didn't want to move forward, and I was screaming inside. Angel nodded to us and disappeared. He went around the house to cover the back.

Giles looked towards me to lead the way inside. I couldn't blame him for not wanting to go first.

I kicked open the door and walked in. We were greeted by a glowing light that was coming from a staircase leading down to a basement.

I could feel her presence there. It was like something supernatural radiated from her. The closer we walked to the staircase the more terrified I became. I knew I had a slim chance here…I was a realist. I was just a pawn to her…something she didn't expect to encounter.

It was at this point I wished I was down in the South, or at least somewhere warm and loud, like New Orleans.

I continued to walk slowly down the stairs as I knew there was no turning back. Giles was so quiet that I had almost forgotten he was following me close by.

When we reached the bottom the room was lit by candles that were placed around the room. It reminded me of some horror movie…the witches's lair. At least it sure reeked like one…I thought my nose might fall off.

Then something off in the corner made movement, so I armed myself quickly. It was Hunter. He was tied to chair, his clothes were torn, and he looked like he had the life beaten out of him.

Why? Why would a witch torture a watcher? He was a useless watcher anyway. The only possible explanation was that Hunter tried to go after her on his own. Idiot.

Hunter didn't seem aware that we were there. Of course I didn't plan on helping him until Cassidy was taken care of….unless Giles or Angel got to him first. Giles only said to help him first if he could fight…and Hunter was no condition to even walk on his own.

"Well…Look who has shown up for the party. I was beginning to doubt you'd come. Please, come in and make yourself at home, but I must say I wasn't expecting you to bring company…" Cassidy gestured toward Giles.

I said nothing and made no sudden movements.

"You won't be needing those…" she said before whipping the weapons right out of our hands and over to the wall.

Cassidy started to feel more at ease and circled around the room as she spoke. "I knew that if I told you I had the little bratty watcher you'd come right to me."

The way she played with her hair reminded me of a little girl. It irritated me as she twirled it between her long zebra print fingernails.

"Honestly I don't give a damn about my watcher. I came here to stop you."

She looked up to the ceiling as she dramatically laughed out loud, "Did you hear that Hunter?" Cassidy gestured her head towards him, "Your slayer doesn't even care about you, even after you risked your life to try and stop me…noble yes…but stupid. I guess I can see why she hates you. Such a shame."

I rolled my eyes at her then quickly pulled my gun and fired off a shot. It happened so fast…I didn't even take the time to aim, but that was the point. I needed to shoot her before she had the chance to react.

When I regained my vision I could see blood coming Cassidy's leg. I cursed under my breath as I was so far off.

"That hurt bitch!" she shrieked, placing her hand over the bleeding wound.

"Trust me…it will hurt a lot less once I kill you."

I held the gun tightly behind me and focused my energy towards it. My fingers slowly released and the gun flew up behind me, pointed directly at Cassidy as it moved above our heads.

It shocked me that these abilities were finally working. I had a sly grin on my face once the gun was high enough for her to see. Since I was so focused on controlling the gun I couldn't look over, but I had a strong feeling that Giles had his mouth open in awe. As for Cassidy, she was grinning in amusement and pride.

"That's it….you're starting to get the hang of it. You've had it in you all this time—can't hide from your true nature Vivian, your father was a Sadecki demon. Just imagine the things you can do now! A slayer and a demon. The possibilities for you are endless. Why not join the winning team?"

"I don't know….Guess I just like being the underdog," I cocked the gun.

The plan…there was no freakn' plan even at this point. I held the gun in the air pointed her, but I wasn't sure how long I could hold it.

My knees were starting to tremble and I could feel a stream of dark red blood drip down from my nose and onto my upper lip.

Angel was standing by now with Cassidy's back towards him.

I let go. I couldn't hold it any longer. The gun fired off a round before falling to the floor and I along with it. I rested on my knees without losing eye contact with her. A dark laugh escaped me to see her bleed. I shot Cassidy in the left shoulder.

"You little BITCH!" she cursed as she grabbed at her second wound in pain, but the blood just kept pouring out.

I started to reach for the gun on the ground but it slid away from me by itself. The gun then lifted up into the air, now pointed at me.

"My turn," she spat and started firing at me.

I rolled on the ground and jumped to my feet. I dodged shot after shot while Giles took cover. Cassidy kept firing off rounds, but I was faster.

Once the cartridge ran out I was on the other side of the room. I charged her…ran directly at her as my hand slipped into my short leather jacket.

Cassidy raised her hand and threw me across the room. I crash landed on some boxes of books…which really hurt.

"Is that all you got? You know….I have a feeling you're not a power witch at all. Yeah. You're just some wannabe with a magic spell book," I said as I got up and pulled out the knife.

She was really mad now. Her cheeks were flushed a pink color and her beady eyes looked as if they were tearing me to shreds.

"I'll show you power…." She growled in a possessed voice.

The candles flickered in the room as she used whatever power she had to lift me off the ground and hold me in the air. I looked down as my knife fell to the floor. I was about three feet up when a crushing pain came down on my chest. I screamed and twisted in pain.

Cassidy smiled as her open hand slowly started to close into a fist. It was like she was squeezing my insides…and I couldn't control it.

"Stop…stop…" I coughed out with blood.

"Why should I? Did you think I was just going to let you walk out of here? This ends tonight slayer…only one of us is living to see the sunrise."

I moaned and groaned some more as I hanged there in pain…wondering why no one was helping me.

'I can do this,' I thought to myself as I opened my eyes to look at her. The only way for me to be free at this point was to make her put me down…but I had no idea how to do something like that. Once my eyes were fully opened I noticed she was holding Angel back with her other hand.

I looked down at Hunter; he was still bound tightly to a chair. Blood dripped down from his nose and his busted eye was swollen shut. It looked like he put up a fight, and part of me respected him for that. His other eye was looking up at me as his head hanged down…it was as if he was saying 'I took this beating for you.'

"You got me here….let the watcher go," I said to Cassidy.

She tilted her head in thought. The witch knew I wasn't going anywhere and she also knew that Hunter had to sit this one out— there was no way he could fight.

"Fine."

"Take him home Giles…It's okay, I got this."

At first he looked at me defiantly and didn't move…I finally raised my voice to him and he obeyed….but still reluctantly.

Once Giles had left it was just the three of us.

That's when Cassidy's body started to shake. She was losing a lot of blood through her shoulder wound and it eventually made her lose focus.

It was getting to the point where I could feel the pressure on my lungs and heart. She was doing this slowly...she wanted me to suffer as much pain as she could create.

I fell to the ground once she closed her eyes and stood perfectly still. I grabbed my chest in pain from her brutal attack but I managed to get to my feet.

As I approached her I could see something moving. To my horror something inside of her pushed the bullet out of her wound and it fell to the floor with a clang. Soon her wound had perfectly healed…a blood stain was all that remained.

"The damn bitch can heal?" I turned to Angel and he shrugged.

Before Cassidy could fully recover I ran to the bag Giles had left for me. I pulled out a large and very sharp sword.

I staggered and nearly fell a couple times as I went back over to her bent figure.

"Let's see how far this healing thing goes," I put on my best psychotic grin as I wielded it in her direction.

Cassidy was trying to look bored with me, but I wasn't falling for it. I kept my focus on her because I knew she was capable of shoving me against a wall again.

When I saw her hand rising I moved out of the way…lugging the heavy sword close behind me. Angel caught on quick to what I was doing….I tossed him the sword and ran.

She gave a shriek of frustration once she lost sight of the vampire.

I stayed in the shadows as I worked my around the room to the other side. Then at the last second I saw the sword fly towards me…with my slayer agility I grabbed the sword and brutally sliced Cassidy's head clear off.

In the instant before the deed was done there was a look of surprise on her face. She really thought she could beat me and I was just as surprised as she was.

Once her head dropped the ground, the body did soon after. Blood had sprayed across my chest and face. That's where I stood for minutes as I waited. I needed to be sure a new head wasn't going grow back…it was disturbing thought actually.

I could feel Angel standing behind me, waiting for me to say or do something.

The witch was dead now…It was like I had passed my first test, but it sure didn't feel like I had won anything. There would be more like her…there would always be more.

"I'll take care of this…Go check on the others; I'll be there in a few," Angel said putting a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded and held up the bloodied sword, "fine with me..." I kept the sword in my left hand as I picked up the bag and carried it on my right shoulder to walk home.

When I walked in the door I dropped the bag. With a shaking hand I handed the sword to Giles and wiped away the witch's blood and the blood coming from my nose and mouth, "I don't know….what to do with this."

"Vivian. Are you okay?" Giles asked concerned.

"I'm good. Just cold."

It was clear what had taken place. I won. But there was something in the air…perhaps it was reality. We didn't kill a monster, not a vampire, not even some ancient hell goddess…we killed a person…I killed a person.

I could see Hunter resting on the couch in silence. Part of me wanted to go over there and make sure he was okay. Instead, I slowly headed up the stairs to clean up and to give my body time to heal.


	10. Chapter 10: The Big Bad

Chapter 10: The Big Bad

I tossed and turned in my sleep. It was getting really sticky inside my room and I considered getting up to open my window.

As I opened my eyes I realized I wasn't alone. Quickly I grabbed a large knife from my nightstand and got up to face my attacker.

"Hunter?" I questions as the moonlight revealed his face. "What are you doing here?"

Something wasn't right about him…A red tint to his open eye raised my suspicion. And that's when he lunged at me holding a strange looking blade.

Seriously, what was it lately about things wanting to attack me, kill me, in my bed?

I was ready to take him on…but when he came at me he pushed me backwards…taking us through the second story front window.

Of course I didn't realize it until I could feel and hear the glass breaking against my back. He let go of me in midair and I fell with my back to the ground…my arms were just dangling as I prepared for landing.

It was almost like the fall I took in Georgia, but that was way longer. Scarier. Wetter. Okay maybe they had almost nothing in common.

Lucky for me I hit the gravel…while our friend Hunter made a hard landing on a cement step.

While he struggled to get up, I jumped to my feet and ran at him. I had him weaponless and pinned down in a matter of seconds.

"What have you done with Hunter?" I questioned him.

He laughed at me with blood spitting out of his mouth.

I clocked him jaw, "TALK!" I threatened.

His red eye locked on to mine, "he's here…He says hello by the way."

"What's going on?" Angel asked standing a few feet away with Giles.

"I don't think what we brought home is really Hunter. Something is possessing him. He came in my room holding this knife…" I tossed it over to Angel with my free hand.

Meanwhile I was holding Hunter down tightly and I held my knife against his throat. If he did make a move…this throat would be cut down to his spine.

Angel was studying the knife, "I've seen this before…the Dagger of Lex." His face turned to disappointment as he looked to Giles.

"Dagger of who? Look…whatever, what do I do here?"

Hunter let out a deep growl and grabbed the wrist that was holding the knife to his neck.

"Shit…" I cursed as his grip was so damn tight. He was going to break it…that's what I deserved for my carelessness.

He looked at me again…still holding tight, but now his arm was trembling…lips were quivering to speak.

"Run. Vivian." Hunter seemed to regain control of himself for only a few seconds as he let go of me and threw himself to the ground.

I stumbled backwards in shock. That's when Angel grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away from Hunter.

Once whatever possessing Hunter regained control he looked at the three of us and took off into the trees.

We stood there and stared at the trees until Angel said he was gone. The front yard was now a mess of broken glass and I was trying to get it all off of me before we headed back inside.

"So what is this thing?" I asked Angel at the kitchen table. I played with the knife until Giles took it away from me.

"The Dagger of Lex. If the blade penetrates the skin of anything remotely demon you will wish you were dead. It was enchanted by a watcher before I was even a vampire. I didn't think any were still around. Whatever is possessing Hunter must be working on their side."

I looked at the tiny dagger in Giles's hands, "That? Well what does it do?"

"It's like poison," Giles answered, "slowly kills the demon over a course of five years. Although it may be longer…most demons find a way kill themselves at that point."

"Oh…I see." Now I wished I hadn't asked. "Well on the bright side he didn't get me!"

"No. That doesn't mean he's going to stop there either. Who knows what else Kali has in her possession. Means we need to work out a strategy on this one— 'cause going in blind could get us killed."

Angel sounded grim. I could tell he was a little upset that he wasn't prepared for what happened to Hunter. "It was too easy…" I remember him saying earlier.

"If we free whatever is inside Hunter…perhaps Hunter could tell us what he's seen. Of course it could take hours to find the right exorcism ritual for what's inside him. Or we could capture him and try to extract information from him," Giles shrugged and went back to the stove for more tea.

"Couldn't that possibly kill him?" I asked…not that I cared much for the guy…but still.

"It might. But he also might not survive an exorcism ritual…it depends on how strong this demon is."

Giles seemed oddly cool with this. It freaked me out though.

"K. you guys figure something out…I'm going to finish sleeping on the couch because there is no way in Hellmouth I'm going back upstairs."

I found some blankets in the closet and set up a little bed on the couch in front of the tv. Angel and Giles stayed in the kitchen with a pile of Hindu books. I didn't envy them. Fighting I did. Research was only fun if it meant reading a language I could actually read. Yeah…. More power to them.

I laid there and I wanted to sleep so badly. My eyes were dry and sore from being forced open. It felt better to have them closed, but my mind was still working and showed no signs of quitting.

I could tell Angel and Giles were trying to be quiet for me. Their voices were a dull murmur to my ears.

Most of my thoughts were on Hunter and Kali now. I had mixed feelings about Hunter…He was a jerk, okay…maybe a little more than a jerk. He was also stupid. I couldn't believe he thought he could take on that witch alone. So perhaps he deserved to be possessed by some demon.

I tossed around to face the back of the couch and sighed, "Hunter isn't even my problem. A Hindu goddess that I have no idea how to destroy is my problem," I whispered to myself.

Angel and Giles were also working on those theories. There was some lore in an old book…but there were several methods listed. They may all have worked…or none of them could work. Cross checking was the only way to be sure, but from what it sounded like…that could take a week or longer.

After lying there I finally gave up trying to sleep and sat down at the table. I opened the nearest book and pretended like I knew what I was reading.

I wish I could have photographed this moment. If only we knew. If only we had been warned.

The lights cut out.

I couldn't see a damn thing, but I felt Angel's cold hand on my arm.

"Don't move," he whispered.

I did as he said and watched the windows. The full moon brought shadows to anything that moved past the windows.

-Flash-

Something quick moved by all them on the south side. Angel saw it too.

As for Giles…I think he was still there. Before the lights went out he was on the other side of the kitchen and now I couldn't see that far.

Angel moved his hand away as he stood up from the table.

"Where are you going?" I growled and reached out for him.

"Weapons..." he took hold of my hand before pulling me with him to the weapons trunk in the living room.

He got it open and handed me an ax and took a couple more weapons.

I looked at the ax and knew that I needed a lot more than that if I was going face what was coming.

When I turned around I heard someone punch Angel and knock him against a wall. He was about to go after Angel until he saw I was also standing there. It was Hunter.

He kicked the ax out of my hand and it dropped to the floor right before he picked me up and threw me against the couch. How the hell did this guy get so strong?

The couch broke my fall…and I broke the couch. I didn't have time to worry about injuries or the throbbing in my head. Hunter was also two feet from me when I struggling to get up.

Angel pulled Hunter back and started to choke him around the neck. Hunter's legs were struggling and kicking and suddenly he went limp.

"Is he dead?" I questioned as Angel laid him down on the ground.

"Not quite. The demon left his body. Hunter should be fine…I think."

Angel pushed me away from where Hunter was lying and urged me to help search the house.

"There could be more…we need to leave, otherwise we're just sitting ducks here. Check the upstairs and I'll find Giles…meet you outside."

Then he left. I picked up my ax and slowly made my way upstairs. As I went up I could see the doors to Giles's room were closed. When I got to the top of the stairs I realized all of the doors were closed.

My bedroom. There were noises coming from the other side of the door. Of course it would be my bedroom. After all, the window was missing now thanks to Hunter.

I kicked open the door and raised my ax to fight anything that stood in my way. Empty. The room was vacant and was as I left it.

"Interesting…" I sighed and made my way over to the window to gaze at the spot in the front yard where Hunter and I landed.

"Oh god…" I looked out only to see ten people gathered outside the house. All different kinds of people…just staring mindlessly at the house. Where they alive? Where they also possessed?

I heard Angel come into my room.

"Angel…look at them. It's like they're waiting for someone…you know?"

When I turned around it wasn't Angel I was talking to…it was far beyond what I was prepared for.

'They're waiting for us Vivian…'

Her mouth didn't move…but her voice was clear to me as I could hear it in my head. Kali in the flesh. I couldn't remember how Giles had described her, but she didn't look terrifying or freakish in any way.

Kali did have blue skin. Her eyes were like the lava that flowed from volcano which contrasted her dark hair. It was so dark it seemed to be tinted blue, or perhaps that was just a reflection of her skin. She was my height and appeared to be around my age. Her right arm had a tattooed band of skulls and these strange boned earrings danged down to her shoulders. What really struck me was the smell…it was like scent of asphalt after a heavy downpour. So this was the embodiment of destruction. Didn't seem so bad.

"Us? As in me and you? Sorry….I thought the dead witch would have tipped you off."

Where was this sarcasm coming from? The words were just leaving my mouth effortlessly as I smart talked to a freakn' goddess.

She laughed, 'the witch wasn't worthy. She was weak….prideful…..human.'

I gave her a confused look and lowered the ax.

'Vivian. I intend to unleash destruction upon the world…catastrophes that are unheard of. Almost all of humanity will be wiped out in a matter of days. I'm giving you a choice slayer demon. My army needs someone to lead it, to take charge once the siege of destruction has ended. I demand to be worshipped again by millions…to have sacrifices at my altar and to be the words off the tongues of my followers.'

So this is what it was about: A power hungry goddess dreaming about the olden days of sacrifice and really bad hygiene. To think she wanted me…Didn't I feel special.

"I'll pass on world destruction. In fact, I plan to shove you right back down the hole from which you came from," I grinned and held the ax tight. "I don't care who you are. I just know that it's my job to protect this world from things like you..."

Her eyes turned a deeper shade of red as I angered her. 'Is that how you feel? What about protecting the world from _things_ like you? Demons…Slayers…You're just as evil as the creatures you slay.'

The lights in the house started to flicker and I could see Angel and Giles standing near the door to my room. Angel was holding some kind of gun and he pointed it at Kali. Unfortunately Kali was smart to this and the door slammed shut…preventing them getting in. I could still hear Angel trying desperately to break the door down with his vampire strength, but Kali wasn't allowing him to break through the wood.

"You can offer me diamonds bitch…I'm still not joining your death squad."

I was firm…even though I knew that she could kill me any second. How was I going to defeat her? Giles did say something about a dance…but he wasn't completely sure. It didn't matter now though, for I was staring down Death herself.

"Then you are no use to me…" she hissed and reached out her hand to me.

Her nails were like claws or…like tree branches slowly moving towards me through the darkness.

A hand pulled me backwards…a figure had appeared through the window, it was Angel.

"Get behind me!" he ordered, but I wasn't backing down.

"NO!" I shoved him away.

'You have to get that necklace…you need to break the charm.' Angel's thoughts seemed to blend with my own.

Her cold hand laid upon my forehead and I could feel the ice seep in and down into the rest of my body. My eyes looked up at her hand as they were filled with images of pain, sorrow, blood, fire, tornados, and nuclear destruction.

At the same time my hand was also reaching out from the darkness. By chance I was able to grab hold of the thick necklace around her neck. With the combination of her shock and the release from the pain…I was able to pull it from her neck.

Kali gasped in surprise as I held the charm tightly in my fist.

I breathed heavily as I recovered, "not so tough now are you?"

"Give me the necklace…" there was panic in the voice of the goddess.

I dropped the necklace and it landed down on the floor. I raised my foot and I crushed it with all the strength I had left in me.

A brilliant blue light filled the room. Angel ducked for cover as it hurt his eyes…but I stared straight into it. The blue light beamed from her eyes and her mouth as she screamed and twisted. Then her clothing caught fire with a flame that was also blue but didn't feel hot.

Kali fell to the floor as she became consumed by the fire and burned until there was nothing left.

Once she gone the lights returned the house. Angel stood up and opened the bedroom door. Just on the other side was Giles holding up a broken pair of glasses and concerned look.

"She's gone," I announced. "For good."

I moved past them and headed back downstairs. Hunter was lying on the couch and not moving. At first I thought he was dead…but then he cleared his throat.

Reluctantly I walked over to him and took a seat nearby.

"Good job kid," he congratulated in a broken voice. "I didn't think you could do it, but you did."

"Uh, thanks," I laughed, wondering if that was a compliment or not.

"You're a lot stronger than I gave you credit for. You really are a slayer…you know that? You put your life on the line for all of us. You could have been killed, but you knew you could defeat her. I should have had more faith in you Vivian, but you must understand something…I thought you weren't ready. When you attacked me…I deserved it. I shouldn't have pulled out that knife…but what choice did I have? You're stronger than me. I just reacted. I'm not asking for forgiveness Vivian…I just wanted to you to know this."

I didn't know what to say. Hunter was being truly honest with me and I could just tell…something was different about him. The arrogance was gone, as were his snarky remarks. Deep down I knew I couldn't totally forgive him…sure I roughed him up a little, but I was scarred for life.

"Okay. Get some rest," I said before I stood back up and met Angel and Giles in the study room.

Giles was glad to see me back and told me to take a seat.

"I'm proud of you Vivian. You defeated probably the toughest opponent you will ever face in your slaying career. Angel told me what had happened and you were very brave standing up to Kali. I have no doubt you will be able to manage this Hellmouth on your own with Hunter."

"What? You're leaving? No….you can't leave me here Giles. Not yet…I'm not ready," I pleaded.

"Hunter will teach you Vivian; he is your true watcher. I'm needed elsewhere. I have no doubts about this. You two will do fine here. Hunter has a lot to teach you about slaying and he is the more qualified person to teach you."

It was really sinking in. Giles was leaving me. I was selfish….I wanted him to stay and I didn't care if he was needed elsewhere.

"Will you come back to visit? What if we need help?"

"Then Angel or I will be glad to help you. We aren't going away forever Vivian. We'll always be available to help."

I nodded and relaxed back into the chair. I was getting so tired that I kept dozing off as Angel and Giles talked.

Angel explained that he needed to head back to Los Angeles while it was still dark. Giles bid him farewell and I rose to give him a hug and thanked him for his help.

November 13, 2005

_I am the lonely slayer. I alone guard the Hellmouth of Nazareth, Pennsylvania. A 100 year old veil shields this place from any other slayer that attempts to enter. When I die, we have no idea who will guard it. Hunter tells me it's not my problem to worry about. I am unable to leave Nazareth for any length of time and no other slayers can visit me, that is unless they want to die. I have my watcher, Hunter; he has trained me to become an expert at weapons and lore. We've been able to kill hundreds of vampires and a few demons since Giles left for home. As for the half demon thing, I've come to accept it. In fact, I've gotten stronger and I've used some of those abilities to take down powerful demons. Hunter is still leery of these powers and I don't think he likes it when I use them, but that's his problem, not mine…I can't hide or deny this other part of me. _

_So, that's it diary. That was how I took down my first big bad as the lonely slayer of Nazareth. Looking back now…I think it was a miracle that we all survived, cuz it could have been a lot worse. A LOT. Well. It's time to patrol again. _

_Much 3_

_Vivian_

Completed: November 20, 2010


End file.
